Chief vows to stay in Safa race
Expelled member unfazed by scrutiny
SOME questions have been raised about Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana’s eligibility in the race for the South African Football Association (Safa) presidency, but the man himself is not fazed by the scrutiny.
The former Safa vice-president said yesterday he was pressing ahead with his campaign and was not bothered after Safa national executive committee member and Football Transformation Forum secretary-general Mzwandile Maforvane said his expulsion by the association in October 2014 prohibited his inclusion in the nomination list.
Nonkonyana argued that he was expelled as Safa vice-president in 2014, but retained his place as a member of the football fraternity‚ laying the grounds for him to contest the elections on March 24.
“I was never banned from football and have remained active in the game,” he said.
“I have been involved in football all these years and no one has ever questioned my involvement.”
Nonkonyana was suspended in October 2013 after he said in interviews that former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund should quit if the national team failed to reach the final of the SA-held 2014 African Nations Championships. He elected to go to court to challenge the suspension‚ a course of action that brought him at loggerheads with his former colleagues.
He was eventually dismissed in October 2014 following a unanimous decision by the football body.
Maforvane said besides the question of eligibility‚ Nonkonyana could not stand against incumbent Danny Jordaan in the election as he owed Safa almost R900 000 after losing the court cases he instituted against the association following his expulsion.
“First of all‚ Chief [Nonkonyana] was expelled as a member of Safa by the regions in 2014‚” he said.
“This means he is not a member of Safa. He never appealed against his expulsion and the regions have never reinstated him.
“Secondly‚ he took Safa to court on numerous occasions [after his expulsion] and he lost all those cases with costs.
“To my knowledge‚ he never paid any of the costs and owes Safa in the region of R900 000.
“When you owe the association that kind of money‚ you cannot run for any position.”
Nonkonyana said he had continued to challenge his expulsion and had never backed down from the long-running battle.
“I even serve on the board of a club here in the Eastern Cape.”
Jordaan said last month that he would stand for re-election when his term of office comes to an end in March.
Nominations open 60 days before the day of the election. – TimesLIVE