Safa Removes Two Vice-Presidents

The SA Football Association (Safa) has removed two vice-presidents following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Saturday.

Rea Ledwaba and Gay Mokoena were the two individuals relieved of their duties after the NEC said they had no confidence in their abilities.

Speaking to Eyewitness News, acting chief executive officer (CEO), Tebogo Motlanthe, says Ledwaba’s removal is related to her sending a letter to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and the Sports Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, asking for intervention on internal matters.

“In that meeting, part of the issues raised were the letters sent by Ms. Rea Ledwaba to the Minister and Sascoc,” he confirmed on Sunday. “The NEC, because she has not favored them with a copy of that letter, resolved that she should have used internal remedies. More especially since Fifa discourage third party involvement in football affairs.”

He went on to say, “The NEC is the one that appoints the vice-president and they said they lost confidence in her. And by a majority, they resolved that she must be removed”.

Mokoena’s removal does not come as a surprise as the tense relationship between him and Safa President, Danny Jordaan, has played out in public.

In April, his report to the NEC was leaked, claiming amongst other things that Jordaan was flouting the organization’s constitution by appointing or dismissing a CEO‚ chief operation officer and/or chief financial officer‚ powers which he does not have.

Mokoena also alleged that Jordaan was dismissing staff without the approval of the NEC.

“The Mokoena report is a well-reported document,” Motlanthe said. “It was entertained and the members found that it was not a true reflection given that on the 11 March he wrote a report and this one came as a very different report to the one that he wrote on the 11th. The members, after interacting with the report, they decided the report must not be adopted. It must be rejected because it’s not a true version of events”.

Mokoena stepped down as acting CEO on April 15 and on Saturday was also removed as VP of Safa.

“They (NEC) further said that, given that it has affected the question of trust in him and them, in the fact that it went to the media first, they also resolved to recall him.”

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Safa has announced that staff will take a pay cut and as Mothlante confirms, begun talks about retrenchments within the organization.

“We have started consultations as part of section 189(3) so no one has been retrenched, we are still consulting and after that, we will know”.

EWN