SAFA CEO apologises for statutes error as election challenge is dismissed

South African Football Association (SAFA) chief executive Lydia Monyepao has apologised to the organisation’s National Executive Committee (NEC) after an incorrect extract from its statutes triggered allegations of constitutional manipulation and led to a police complaint.

The controversy comes just days before SAFA’s elective congress in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 12 September. Incumbent president Danny Jordaan is seeking a fourth term against Sandile Zungu, the owner of AmaZulu FC.

The disputed wording appeared in an information pack circulated to regional structures and NEC members on Friday, 4 September. It concerned the nomination process for the SAFA presidency and NEC positions.

Article 25.10 in the pack stated: “The current serving President, NEC members and women representatives as envisaged in these Statutes may be nominated by any Region or member and be supported by two other members.”

The Save Our SAFA (SOS) group questioned the provision, arguing that it had been inserted to influence the election process.

Lebogang Riet, chairperson of Force For Change, which is supporting Zungu’s campaign, was filmed at Dingleton police station in the Northern Cape saying he intended to report the matter.

“I’m going to lay charges for corruption and fraud, actually. The papers are the Constitution of SAFA, somebody at the head office, decides to change that in their own essence as it is.

“This is all the changes, almost 14 to 15 changes, that were done unconstitutionally. This one is worse, this is what we received in the pack, but it is totally different to Article 25.10…what is contained in the pack is a totally new addition, just to protect the nomination of the President,” said Riet in a video that was shot outside the police station.

Riet also claimed the alteration was intended to counter an arbitration case involving Nelson Mandela Bay, the region which had nominated Jordaan.

That arbitration has now gone in favour of the current leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay, headed by its newly elected president Clive Killian. The challenge to the legitimacy of that leadership was dismissed.

“In conclusion, I dismiss the relief sought by the requestors in their entirety for the purposes of this arbitration and based substantially on the limited issues raised in the points in limine,” the arbitrator ruled in a case brought by three Nelson Mandela Bay Local Football Associations (LFAs): PEEFA, KUYGA and ZWIFA.

Monyepao subsequently wrote to NEC members to explain the origin of the disputed wording. She acknowledged that the information pack had included an incorrect provision from an older version of the SAFA Statutes.

She said the matter would be discussed at the final NEC meeting of the outgoing SAFA leadership on Friday, 11 September 2026, one day before the elective congress.

“Following a closer review, the Secretariat noted that, while the extract highlighted the relevant provisions, Article 25.18 was taken from the al older version (2022) of the SAFA Statutes. The corresponding provision in the current SAFA Statutes is Article 25.16.

“To remove any doubt and ensure that members have the correct reference, the secretariat has attached: 1. The signed SAFA Statutes as amended following the Constitutional Congress held on 23 May 2026 and shared with members on 08 August 2026, 2. The correct extract of Article 25. For your ease of reference, from page 26, is on the statutes,” the CEO wrote to NEC members.

Monyepao described the mistake as an administrative and human error, and apologised to the NEC for the timing of the incorrect information.

“We sincerely apologise to the NEC for this oversight. The error was entirely human and administrative in nature and was inadvertent. It was not to mislead, nor was it made with any malicious intent,” concluded Monyepao in her message to the NEC members.

The updated statutes have now been sent to members. With the clarification issued and the Nelson Mandela Bay arbitration challenge dismissed, Friday’s NEC meeting is expected to prepare for the elections to proceed under the signed and amended statutes accepted by SAFA.