Safa presidential election: How Saturday’s elective congress will work

Sandile Zungu and Danny Jordaan will go head-to-head for the Safa presidency at Saturday’s elective congress, where delegates will gather at the Vodacom World Dome in Midrand.

The process begins on Friday with a meeting of Safa’s national executive committee (NEC). One of the matters to be decided will be which office bearer is authorised to cast the deciding vote if the presidential election ends in a tie.

Regional delegates will join the proceedings on Saturday, when the association’s new leadership is chosen.

A presidential candidate must secure 50% plus one of the available votes. The ballot will draw on votes from:

– 52 Safa regions, each allocated four votes; – 41 NEC members, excluding those who have been expelled; – 10 associate members; and – six representatives from the PSL, whose votes may only be used in the vice-presidential election.

Several regions have yet to complete their delegations. They include Fezile Dabi, Amajuba, Bojanala, Namakwa and ZF Mgcawu.

The elections will be overseen by Victor Mogajane, the chairperson of Safa’s governance committee.

Presidential voting process

The president will be elected before the other office bearers. If only one candidate is nominated, that person will be declared elected without a ballot.

Where two or more candidates are nominated, the first ballot will require one candidate to achieve a 50%-plus-one majority. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a second ballot will be held, with the candidate receiving the most votes declared elected.

Should the second ballot also produce a tie, the outgoing president will have the deciding vote, in addition to their deliberative vote. However, this will apply only if the outgoing president is not a candidate and is able to perform that role.

If those conditions are not met, the outgoing Safa NEC will nominate another outgoing office bearer to cast the deciding vote.

The congress will also mark the end of the current term. All NEC members are due to receive certificates of appreciation acknowledging the collective work, contribution and achievements of the leadership during its period in office.

Safa has also planned to invite the parents of Jayden Adams. A plaque will be presented in his memory, giving the association an opportunity to honour and remember him.

Delegates will each receive a Bafana Bafana yellow jersey, a trolley bag, a watch and a diary. NEC members will additionally be given a yellow Bafana anthem jacket.