Mazwi Mkhize has secured a second term as president of SAFA eThekwini after an overwhelming victory in a tightly controlled elective congress that underlined his firm grip on the region’s football structures.
The regional association’s congress was held on Saturday at the Garden Court under closed-door conditions, with media barred from attending.
Delegates from local football associations gathered to decide the presidency, contested between the incumbent Mkhize and challenger Madoda Mnomiya.
When voting concluded, the result left little doubt about the balance of support within the electorate.
Of the 21 local football associations eligible to cast ballots, Mkhize received 18 votes, with Mnomiya securing just three.
The outcome renews the mandate of a president first elected in December 2021 and signals continuity at the top of one of South African football’s key regional bodies.
According to sources cited by Sportswire, the process was conducted in an orderly manner and passed without significant dispute.
The congress took place against a backdrop of reduced participation.
Although 22 local football associations are formally listed within the eThekwini region, only 21 were permitted to vote.
The Pinetown Local Football Association was excluded after being declared inactive and non-compliant with its own constitutional requirements.
That decision had wider implications for the election process.
The disqualification of Pinetown LFA also ruled out Shane Malan, its president, from standing for the position of treasurer.
SAFA regulations stipulate that candidates must be drawn from compliant and active affiliates, a condition Malan no longer met following the status of his association.
As a result, his candidacy was invalidated before voting took place.
Oversight of the election was entrusted to Aleck Skhosana, the former president of Athletics South Africa and a member of the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee, lending institutional weight to the proceedings.
Alongside the presidential vote, delegates elected the new executive committee that will serve alongside Mkhize during his second term.
Desmon Ganasan and Mlungisi Hlophe were chosen as vice-presidents, while Jabu Luthuli was elected as women’s vice-president.
Continuity was also evident in key administrative roles, with Zama Buthelezi retaining his post as general secretary without opposition.
Nhlakanipho Mkhize was similarly confirmed as treasurer, becoming the sole candidate after Malan’s disqualification.
The decisive outcome of the vote reflects the current power dynamics within SAFA eThekwini and suggests a period of stability in its leadership.
For Mkhize, the renewed mandate offers an opportunity to consolidate his authority and pursue his agenda with a strong electoral backing from the region’s football structures.
