ALTHOUGH there are still six months left before the election of the president of the governing body for football in the country, the South African Football Association (Safa), but the debate has started regarding this election.
It is expected that he will be elected in September this year to lead the organization for the next four years, but at the moment no one has come out publicly saying that they will run for the election.
The position is still held by Danny Jordaan, who took office in 2013.
Safa was founded in March 1991, and came under FIFA in June 1992.
It has been led by six different people namely Mluleki George (1991-1992), Professor Lesole Gadinabokao (1992-1994), Solomon ‘Stix’ Morewa (1994-1997), Dr. Molefi Oliphant (1997-2009), Kirsten Nemtandani (2009-2013) and Jordaan.
Jordaan’s leadership
In 2013, Jordaan received 162 votes, while his opponent, Mandla Mazibuko, received 88.
He retained his position again in 2018 because there was no competitor following the resignation of the former referee, Andile ‘Ace’ Ncobo.
In 2022, he had two, Ria Ledwaba who was the manager of Ria Stars and was once the vice president of Safa, and Solly Mohlabeng who was the president of Safa in Tshwane, and who just returned to this position late last year.
Jordaan easily passed that election by getting 186 votes, Ledwaba got 27, and Mohlabeng got seven.
Ledwaba and Mohlabeng sued Safa complaining that the election was not free and unfair but the case was dismissed by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
When Jordaan was elected in 2022, he promised that he would not run for the next election, but when he was in Parliament last year, he became angry when asked if he still stood by those words.
Last year he was charged with using Safa money illegally and this case will continue in July this year.
Complaints about change
The former chief executive of Safa, Dennis Mumble, and the members of the executive committee of this organization, Gladywyn White (Safa Northern Cape) and Monde Montshiwa (Safa North West) have for some time begun to criticize Jordaan’s leadership.
There are independent organizations including Save Our Safa, and an organization that has brought together the local football players that has recently been established and suggests that a change is needed in the leadership of Safa.
Another organization, the South African Football Clubs Association (Safoca), which has members who are officials of grassroots teams, has recently suggested that the president of the Zulu, Sandile Zungu, fight for the position of leading Safa.
Strict rules
Zungu is not the only one who has been suggested to take the chair of Safa, but in the past years, the name of the local legend, Lucas Radebe, who became famous playing for Kaizer Chiefs and Leeds United of England, has come up, but it ended up in the air.
The reason for that is that Safa has strict goals that must be met by those who wish to run for election, such as those who have a history of 10 years or more working in the regions of this organization.
Although in other countries the elites have had the opportunity to lead football organizations, including Kalusha Bwalya in Zambia, Samuel Eto’o in Cameroon, but in this country it will not be the case if they fail to stand up to some of the established goals.
Speaking on the Sowetan podcast, theIn The KnowZungu said that he would accept the proposal to participate in the leadership of the country’s football if it comes, but he said that it is not a priority in his plans.
However, since Zungu started to lead this KwaZulu-Natal team in 2020, he may also be locked up unless the Safa rules remain in place, no matter how many people want to see him lead this organization.
There are many questions that will come up in the coming months as the election approaches and a lot will depend on how Jordaan’s money laundering case goes when it goes to court.
The important thing is that Safa is sustainable, as the future of local football is in their hands. The teams in this country are showing improvement on the field as the men’s team, Bafana Bafana, will play in the World Cup in June, while the women’s team, Banyana Banyana, will fight for the title of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations next month.
Last year the Under-17 and Under-20 men’s national teams played in the World Cup in their respective divisions.
It would be bad if he finds himself going backwards due to problems such as not being paid on time to the workers and failing to meet the demands, which has become a routine in Safa over the years.
The truth is that no matter who the position of managing Safa falls to, but football in this country needs leaders who have a sound vision, who will work with integrity, and put the country first.