Safa congress hit by fresh fraud and vote-buying allegations

Allegations of fraud, vote-buying and forged documents have intensified ahead of the SA Football Association’s much-anticipated elective congress in Midrand tomorrow.

More than 300 delegates are expected to vote in the contest between incumbent president Danny Jordaan and his challenger, AmaZulu owner Sandile Zungu. Sowetan has been told of fresh claims that attempts were made to influence delegates before the election.

“Just this week, there was an official caught red-handed with R100,000 in cash, which was supposed to influence one region,” a Safa NEC official said. The official asked not to be named because a police case was in the process of being filed.

Further allegations concern forged signatures linked to a regional congress in the Sarah Baartman region of the Northern Cape, as well as late efforts to alter the delegation from the Amajuba region in KwaZulu-Natal.

“All that failed, and the delegates are coming to congress,” the NEC official added.

NEC members also confirmed that they had received their honoraria for the first time in two years. More than R150 000 was paid into their accounts last week.

The most serious dispute could dominate today’s NEC meeting, held ahead of tomorrow’s vote. It centres on Safa chief executive Lydia Monyepao and an alleged distribution of a document containing amended statutes that had not been approved.

Monyepao has since apologised to Safa’s regions, describing the circulation of the document as a genuine error. However, NEC member Lebogang Riet has opened criminal charges against her and said he would not withdraw the case.

“The CEO [Monyepao] lied again, trying to correct her initial mistake,” Riet said, referring to an article sent to Safa members last week.

The article said Jordaan could be nominated by any region rather than by his home branch, contrary to the statutes understood to be in force.

“There was no statute which she quoted from. That’s why she couldn’t tell us where she took that extract from. There’s no Safa statute like that,” Riet told Sowetan.

“They have already used this statute to eliminate people who go on the ballot. We are not planning drama, but drama might come from them [Safa’s hierarchy] because we are just here to defend our constitution and make sure things are done according to the constitution.”

Riet, chairperson of Force For Change, which supports Zungu, said he was waiting for the police to act and that his lawyers had already engaged with them.

Jordaan is believed to have been campaigning for two years, while Zungu’s campaign only gained momentum this year. Despite that difference, Riet said he remained confident that Zungu would win.

“We are very positive that our man will emerge. We’ve worked very hard to mobilise people who will vote for him,” he said.

Zungu also expressed concern this week about alleged attempts to buy delegates, although he provided no specific evidence.

“Notwithstanding all this, we will win convincingly,” he said.