Jordaan faces rebellion before Safa NEC meeting

Bid to bar soccer boss from chairing Saturday’s seating

Nkareng Matshe Sports editor
PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza and Safa president Danny Jordaan.
PSL chairperson Irvin Khoza and Safa president Danny Jordaan.
Image: MARK GLEESON

Danny Jordaan could be fighting for survival as Safa president this weekend as some national executive committee (NEC) members will propose he steps aside and make way for Irvin Khoza to take over on a temporary basis, Sowetan has learnt.

Bhudha Mathathe, a Safa NEC member, confirmed yesterday that a section of the NEC has been lobbying for Jordaan to not even take the podium and chair Saturday’s NEC meeting – the first since the Safa president appeared in court on fraud charges late last year.

“He’s on bail facing serious charges, so he should not be at the NEC, let alone chair it," Mathathe told Sowetan on Wednesday. “We don’t want him there because he would be violating his bail conditions, which say he should not interfere with witnesses. We know that Dr Irvin Khoza is one of the witnesses. There are NEC members who may be witnesses too. It’s nothing personal – he has to follow the law.”

Mathathe said if Jordaan is persuaded to recuse himself, “there’s only one suitable candidate of the four Safa vice-presidents to steer the ship on a temporary basis – and that is Dr Khoza”.

We don’t want him there because he would be violating his bail conditions, which say he should not interfere with witnesses.

Asked if it would be viable to have Khoza, who is PSL chairman, to now lead Safa, Mathathe responded: “He won’t have to be there on a fulltime basis. He would provide guidance. We are in a difficult financial position where we are failing to pay salaries and national teams. Dr Khoza has the expertise to get us out of these problems.”

Mathathe said he had heard rumours Safa planned to suspend him and two fellow NEC members, Gladwyn White and Monde Montshiwa, for apparently being too vocal against Jordaan’s embattled regime.

“I have heard I could face suspension but that won’t pass because I was elected by the Safa Congress. I can’t be suspended by NEC members,” he retorted.

Safa statutes state that “only the Congress may suspend a member. However, the NEC may suspend a member that seriously violates obligations with immediate effect”.

White, meanwhile, refused to comment, saying he'll do so "at the right time".

Jordaan is understood to be mounting support to counter any planned rebellion against his regime which has survived almost exclusively based on loyal lackeys benefiting one way or another.

It is understood some of his loyalists have attempted to get the three NEC members barred from Saturday’s meeting, which still did not have a known venue, or agenda, by yesterday.

Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao would not disclose the agenda or venue for the meeting. “It’s not the NEC for journalists. If there’s need to invite you, we will tell you,” she said.

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