Safa regions want congress to eject Danny

Four Safa regions have formally proposed a motion to suspend the association’s president, Danny Jordaan, and remove CEO Lydia Monyepao at next month’s congress.

But while the date for the congress has been set as May 10, Sowetan understands it may not even take place due to Safa’s dire financial situation. 

A document cosigned by the four regions – Francis Baard (Northern Cape), Joe Gqabi (Eastern Cape), Uthukela (KwaZulu-Natal) and Dr Kenneth Kaunda (North West) – which Sowetan has seen, calls for the “immediate provisional suspension of Jordaan, due to his arrest and alleged involvement in fraud and corruption, pending the outcome of an internal or independent investigation”.

Jordaan and Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo were charged with fraud last year and are out on bail.

Monyepao, the regions allege, is “drowning” in the key CEO position. “[She should] be dismissed for failure to communicate and implement resolutions regarding regional grants, and for not taking appropriate action following the arrest of the CFO,” reads one of the motions.

But whether the congress goes ahead in two weeks remains unclear, as both Safa detractors and supporters concede the embattled organisation is suffering financial strain and cannot afford to call the meeting.

“We have not received confirmation of the [May 10] meeting,” said Gladywn White, the regional president for Francis Baard. “We understand the organisation is bankrupt, but we want congress, as the highest decision-making body, to sit and pass these motions.”

The 14-day notice for a congress expires tomorrow, and a Safa insider told Sowetan it was certain it won’t take place. “We still have an outstanding NEC meeting which was postponed from March, so we can’t hold congress before that meeting,” said the insider who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak on the matter.

The insider conceded Safa has financial challenges but put those down to the national teams’ busy international programmes. “We’ve had a busy year with our teams qualifying for tournaments, and that costs a lot of money. A congress is costly because you have over 200 people convening. I’m not sure if it would take place [on May 10].”

But Safa Joe Gqabi region chairperson Sello Ntsoelinyane said the national teams qualifying for tournaments cannot be an excuse not to go ahead with the congress. “Our teams have done well before; [but] we never had these problems,” Ntsoelinyane said. “Our biggest problem is a lack of accountability and major decisions being made without the NEC’s approval. We must have the congress because we are approaching the end of our financial year in June.”

Ntsoelinyane added why they want Jordaan suspended. “Our statutes don’t have the step aside rule, but it’s morally wrong to have [Jordaan] presiding over an organisation which he’s alleged to have defrauded. Equally, it’s wrong to have a CFO looking after the finances of the same association whose funds he’s said to have misappropriated. The law must take its course, but they can’t be there at Safa House.”