Safa governance committee ‘compromised’, says Mathathe as SAMLFA backs Zungu for presidency

AmaZulu FC chairman Sandile Zungu has received the backing of the South African Masters and Legends Football Association (SAMLFA) in his bid to unseat long-standing SAFA president Dr Danny Jordaan, while former National Executive Committee member Buddha Mathathe has accused the football governing body’s Governance Committee of lacking independence.

Mathathe’s nomination for another term on the SAFA NEC was rejected by the committee, despite his insistence that he had met the administrative requirements and submitted the necessary documentation.

“TheSAFAGovernance Committee is not independent; it is controlled from somewhere.”

The Governance Committee published its final list of candidates eligible to contest the SAFA elective congress on 12 September. The list covers the presidential, national, provincial and special member positions.

The committee is chaired by Victor Mogajane, with Tumi Dlamini as deputy chairperson. Abel Ramolotja, Anzel Laubscher and Shakespeare Hadebe are the other members. It said all candidates included on the list had passed the required vetting process.

Mathathe, who has been an NEC member for the past four years, was among the most prominent omissions. He said he had been nominated by three regions and had accepted the nomination in writing.

According to Mathathe, he was informed about the required documentation only a few days before the deadline. He said he worked to obtain the paperwork, including a compulsory police clearance certificate, but was later told that his nomination was ineligible.

“I received the email on Sunday evening, and the deadline was Tuesday,” Mathathe stated. “On Monday, I went to the police station for a background check, and they told me it would take six weeks.

“I submitted an affidavit stating the document would be delayed, but I also went to PostNet to see if I could expedite the process. They told me it would take three to five days. Fortunately, the GC extended the deadline to Wednesday, and PostNet cleared me ahead of that date.

“They requested a password to access the link. I submitted it, and they acknowledged receipt. The deputy chair of the GC asked for my personal mobile number, which I provided. I am still waiting for that call; instead, I received a letter stating I am ineligible to be nominated.”

Candidates excluded from the list were given 14 days after its publication to appeal through SAFA chief executive Lydia Monyepao. Mathathe confirmed that he had challenged the decision.

“I have written an email to protest the decision, noting that I complied with the process and failing to understand why I was excluded from the list.

“Several regions have also protested my exclusion. I wrote to the chairperson of the Governance Committee, noting that I underwent the same vetting process for the 2022 elections and was cleared. Between 2022 and now, I have neither been charged nor convicted of any crime. That is my message, but I have yet to receive a response.”

Mathathe said his experience had led him to question whether the Governance Committee was operating independently.

“From where I am sitting, the Governance Committee is controlled from somewhere,” he claimed. “Some of the questions I pose to them via email are answered by the SAFA CEO. They should be independent as the body responsible for elections. To answer directly: they are compromised.”

Speaking as SAMLFA president at the Zodwa Khoza Foundation headquarters in Diepkloof, Mathathe also confirmed that the association would support Zungu’s campaign for the SAFA presidency.

SAMLFA believes Jordaan has not met fundamental governance expectations, including the involvement of former players in formal football administration. It regards Zungu’s programme, which emphasises financial transparency and structural reform, as a potential benefit to South African football more broadly.

Mathathe also raised concerns about SAMLFA’s absence from the list of eligible entities. He said the association, which is an associate member of SAFA, had maintained compliant status since 2003.

The Governance Committee said four of the nine nominated associate members were compliant, but only two appeared on the published list. Mathathe said the discrepancy was troubling, although he remained hopeful that the review process would correct the omission.

“It does concern us,” Mathathe said. “They stated there are four eligible associate members, and my assumption was that we should have been one of them because we complied with everything required.

“We can only hope that after the review process, we will be included on the list, as we have done everything necessary to be compliant.”