Zuma still on the ball
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is still applying his mind to the request for a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate bribery allegations involving Bafana Bafana games in the build-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.
Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj said the matter was receiving serious attention. “I can tell you the president is still applying his mind on the matter,” said Maharaj. “We will make an announcement at the appropriate time.”
The Sunday Times has learnt that legal experts in the Presidency and Department of Sport and Recreation are working on the matter to ensure there are no loopholes when the commission and the name of the retired judge who will lead it are announced by Zuma. The announcement has been delayed because government want to avoid any chance of a confrontation with Fifa, who frown upon government interference in football.
Insiders say Zuma’s announcement is expected by the end of this month or early in August.
The bribery allegations surfaced after two former Fifa security department employees conducted an investigation.
Five senior Safa officials, including president Kirsten Nematandani, were mentioned in the report and subsequently suspended by Safa’s management committee.
Four officials, head of the national teams Lindile Kika, Bafana Bafana manager Barney Kujane, chief executive officer Dennis Mumble and chief of referees Adeel Carelse, who has since left Safa, were also suspended.
The five officials returned to their jobs after the Safa national executive committee — the federations highest decision-making body — argued that the management committee did not have powers to suspend any of them.
Subsequent to that, the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee wrote to Mbalula recommending that a judicial commission of inquiry be appointed to investigate the bribery allegations and Safa’s financial affairs.
That prompted Safa to complain about Sascoc interference in their affairs. This resulted in all three parties — including Mbalula — flying to Switzerland for a meeting with Fifa secretarygeneral Jerome Valcke at which the issue of a commission was approved.
Some Safa officials were uncomfortable that the commission would be a judicial one but Mbalula said they need not worry if they had nothing to hide. Safa wants an independent commission to investigate the allegations.