Motsepe, govt step in to help Safa resolve Banyana crisis

Vice-president Bailey assures players will get all Fifa allocation

Neville Khoza Journalist
Sports minister Zizi Kodwa, right, and deputy minister Noncedo Mafu met with Safa and Safpu to resolve the bonus row which erupted in the Banyana camp.
Sports minister Zizi Kodwa, right, and deputy minister Noncedo Mafu met with Safa and Safpu to resolve the bonus row which erupted in the Banyana camp.
Image: Twitter

With the help of the SA government and CAF president Patrice Motsepe, Safa and Banyana Banyana have resolved the pay row that plunged the team into crisis ahead of the Fifa World Cup.

Banyana will now leave for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand today with the standoff finally settled after Motsepe and sports minister Zizi Kodwa stepped in to mitigate.

Safa is expected to hold a press conference this morning where, together with players' representatives, it will brief the nation before they depart for the World Cup.

Kodwa posted a video on his social media pages following the meeting with the players, and the SA Football Players' Union and Safa bosses, stating a settlement had beeen reached.

"It has been a long day and 48 hours since Sunday. I'm pleased this evening you will go to bed with one thing on the mind: that you will concentrate on matters on the field," Kodwa told the players in the video. "South Africans have been worried about the developments, but we must assure the nation that indeed you're leaving for the World Cup. You have made the nation very proud, and we hope you carry the aspirations of 60 million South Africans as you have done previously."

Meanwhile, Motsepe is believed to have been part of a crisis meeting with Safa and the Banyana players to find a solution.

Safa appeared to have made a concession when a video of vice president Bennett Bailey emerged, in which he guaranteed the players would receive the $30,000 (about R570,000) awarded to each participant by Fifa, in its entirety. This was one of the main stumbling blocks towards an agreement as Banyana players demanded their contracts should make the payment clear.

"We received a demand from players that over and above the $30,000. Even if that money is deposited into Safa's account, Safa cannot touch that money. Fifa sends its own auditors to ensure that. The doubt that the money is going to be used by Safa is unfounded. It's been printed in the minds of the players that Safa will take that money, but that's not true," Bailey stated.

"We also received a demand from players that over and above the $30,000, they want R400,000, for the quarterfinals they want R3,5m but we are saying currently, Safa doesn't have money."

Banyana will kick off their Group G campaign against Sweden in Wellington, New Zealand on July 23.

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