Delegates chased out of the Safa congress
Guards remove LFA members
Enoch Mgijima Local Football Association (LFA) delegates were denied entry to the SA Football Association (Safa) Chris Hani regional congress on Sunday.
The four delegates from Enoch Mgijima were stopped at the entrance of the department of sport, recreation, arts & culture by armed men who claimed to be security, while not wearing any uniform.
As delegates were entering the premises, Safa Chris Hani chair Sandile Mata pointed out Enoch Mgijima LFA secretary Melikhaya Mdingi, Percival Rulumente, Mbulelo Qhusheka and Canzibe Rawana, instructing the armed men not to allow them inside the congress without any reasons.
The four delegates stood outside the premises on the rainy Sunday until they were attended to by Safa provincial chair Andile Ngconjana, who promised to attend to their matter after the congress has been concluded.
However, there was no meeting after the congress to address the delegates’ problems.
That angered the delegates and they asked for the intervention of sport, recreation, arts and culture MEC Nonceba Nkontsiwe, who sent her delegation to listen to the matter.
Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality special programmes unit head Bukiwe Simina also attended to the matter to try and resolve the problem.
She urged the delegates to go home, as the congress had already concluded.
Speaking outside the premises, Mdingi said they were invited by the region to attend the congress.
“We were requested to forward the name of three delegates who would attend the congress and on October 9, I forwarded the names to the region as per their request.
“The names I forwarded were that of Rulumente from Ilinge, Qhusheka from Ntabethemba and Rawana from Hewu LFA,” he said.
Mdingi said the letter was accepted and everything was ok.
“When we got to the congress these names were not in the list, not even my name, as the secretary of the LFA.
“We arrived and there were bodyguards with guns telling us we were not going to enter the premises.
“Mata instructed the bodyguards that they must allow us into the congress,” he said.
Mdingi said their interest was that, if they were sitting outside as delegates, who was representing their LFA in the congress?
“There are personal issues which we think are as a result of this and we don’t want to go into them,” he said.
He said Mata was bullying them as LFAs.
“What he is doing is wrong and he is just bullying us,” he said.
Mdingi said he was only told that day that he was suspended and did not know why they were denied entry into the congress.
Mata, responding to The Rep, said the delegates were attended to by Ngunjana.
“There were other delegates who were outside, why are Enoch Mgijima LFA delegates so important? This was not the first time.
“Last year we had bouncers and security guards but why you did not ask me about that.
“This is what we do throughout our congresses, nothing else,” said Mata, who also indicated that he was presently in hospital, without indicating the reason why.
Safa provincial secretary Sikelela Mtangayi said the matter of the congress was being dealt with in the province.
“A letter has been issued to Safa Chris Hani and I cannot divulge the contents of the letter. Let’s wait. In due time, you will get the contents of the letter,” he said.
There were other delegates who were outside, why are Enoch Mgijima LFA delegates so important? This was not the first time. Last year we had bouncers and security guards but why you did not ask me about that. This is what we do throughout our congresses, nothing else.