Auditors dump Safa
But Jordaan camp says auditors have little role
The upcoming SA Football Association’s (Safa) elective congress could be thrown into turmoil after it emerged that KPMG’s contract with the association has ended, yet the auditing firm will be receiving nominations for the congress.
KPMG confirmed it had servered ties with Safa but would still receive nominations for the March 24 poll, where president Danny Jordaan will seek re-election.
Jordaan’s backers, led by the so-called Football Transformation Forum (FTF), insist there’s nothing untoward about using KMPG’s services even though its contract with Safa was terminated last year.
But a member of an opposing faction, who refused to be named as they have yet to declare their candidacy, said KPMG’s involvement in Safa would bring into question the entire electoral process.
“We know for a fact that they have dumped Safa, so why are they receiving nominations? They are allowing themselves to be embroiled in something that’s effectively fraudulent because their job is not merely to receive nominations. They also have to compile a list of candidates and if there’s a dispute they must account,” said the member.
The member said they would call for the elective congress to be postponed as due process had not been followed when it was brought forward from September to next month.
But the FTF’s Mzwandile Maforvane said there was nothing wrong with KPMG’s involvement.
“There’s no issue here because auditors are never involved in the elections any way. They receive nominations and within seven days, the CEO must send those to the regions. After that the electoral commission takes over. If there are issues of eligibility, the electoral commission deals with that, not the auditors,” Maforvane, who is also a Safa NEC member, said.
He said even if KPMG’s contract with Safa had ended, it could still be used.
“It’s like a player who has a contract coming to an end. He’s not barred from playing for his team.”
KPMG said it was merely receiving nominations as it was “impractical” for Safa to find new auditors.
“Since it is impractical for Safa to change auditors before the nomination process, KPMG has agreed to receive the nominations only and will not be involved in the actual election process,” said communications manager Nqubeko Sibiya.