Safa executive opened case against Jordaan in 2020
A raid by the Hawks on the headquarters of the South African Football Association (Safa) emanates from a criminal case opened in 2020 by former Safa executive member Willie Mooka against its president, Danny Jordaan.
The Hawks serious commercial crime investigation unit descended on Safa House in Nasrec, Johannesburg, on Friday and conducted a search and seizure operation during which a laptop, external hard drives, a USB device and documents were seized.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mohale said the operation was prompted by allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3m. The crimes are purported to have happened between 2014 and 2018 and relate to Jordaan allegedly using the organisation’s resources for his personal gain.
Mooka laid three complaints against Jordaan, acting on a report presented to the Safa national executive committee (NEC) by former Safa CEO Dennis Mumble in 2020 in which he claimed Jordaan had violated the organisation’s procurement policies.
Jordaan is accused of unlawfully signing a contract for the services of PR company Grit Communications to help him improve his image after musician Jennifer Ferguson in 2017 accused him of raping her in a Nelson Mandela Bay hotel room 28 years earlier. Ferguson opened a case with the police five months later, in 2018. The National Prosecuting Authority later declined to prosecute.
Jordaan was also accused of hiring a personal security company to protect him ahead of the 2018 Safa congress, and of pushing for
the purchase of the Fun Valley Safa technical centre for “an inflated R65m”.
Mumble told the Sunday Times yesterday that by signing a contract with Grit Communications, Jordaan had flouted article 39.2 of the Safa statutes, which states that only the CEO can sign commercial contracts for and on behalf of Safa.
“Moreover, the PR services were never rendered. Instead, what they did was meet in the offices of the PR company to strategise about how to counter the rape allegations against Jordaan — in my absence,” said Mumble.
Mumble said he had also not approved the hiring of the personal security company.
“Moreover, there was no personal security present at or before that congress, yet he forced Safa to pay R40,250 for it,” Mumble said.
“I alleged in my report to the NEC on 10 May 2020 that Jordaan had violated Safa’s procurement policies and statutes with criminal intent by signing a contract for public relations services that Safa did not need and which was not approved by the CEO.
“I explicitly refused to sign that contract in November 2017, so Jordaan signed it against my instructions.”
Mumble shed light on a meeting held with Trevor Neethling of Grit Communications.
“I met them in a private meeting with Jordaan, his wife and two lawyers. I was there to represent Safa’s interests, not Jordaan’s. I went there to find out how Safa would respond because it [the rape allegation] would have a direct bearing on the organisation. It was a private meeting at Danny Jordaan’s lawyer’s house on the evening of or the day after the allegations surfaced in 2017.
“We had to defend to make sure that Safa was covered and there was a separation between Safa and this private matter. The next thing I know Jordaan sent me a contract to sign. I refused,” said Mumble. “Three weeks later I got a copy of that same contract, signed by Jordaan, which was unlawful in terms of the Safa rules.
“At the end of the day, Safa sits with a burden of a signed contract from the president of Safa of all people. He expected me to sign that contract, which I refused, which led to one of the key reasons why I left [Safa]. They kept on presenting it [my resignation] as that I had reached retirement age.”
On the security contract, Mumble said: “He [Jordaan] unlawfully procured personal security services ahead of the Safa elections in 2018 because he alleged there was a threat on his life. He is paranoid; many times he has alleged that his life was under threat. There was no report that anybody’s life was threatened. I was the only one who could sign off on the security services. He signed it and he is not allowed to do that.”
Concerning Fun Valley, Mumble said there was a feeling that Safa overpaid for “the so-called technical centre which has nothing technical that exists there”.
“They paid R65m for it. At the time the value was between R30m and R35m. I had to follow an NEC instruction to purchase the property at that price. When we looked at it, it was clear that we overpaid.”
Neethling told the Sunday Times yesterday that at no stage during the company’s contract with Safa had they been told it was unlawful. “We were contracted to deliver strategic communication advisory and related services. For its services, Grit and Safa agreed on a fee of R80,000 excluding VAT per month. We reported to and engaged with the then Safa CEO Dennis Mumble, then Safa communications manager Dominic Chimhavi and then Safa president Danny Jordaan.
“At no stage in all the many engagements and for the duration of the contract did any Safa management, including Mr Mumble, communicate to us that our contract was unlawful or not duly authorised.
“We therefore categorically deny any allegations of illegal or fraudulent activity in our dealings with Safa. We have already communicated openly with the Hawks.”
Safa said in a statement on Friday that it believed the Hawks’ search was “unlawful, malicious and not conducted in terms of the directives of a warrant given to us”.
“We were not furnished with all the documents prescribed by law. The documents furnished by the Hawks during the shameful raid were incomplete and unlawful.
“As a result, we have instructed our attorneys to bring an urgent application to review and set aside this search and seizure. We have further instructed our attorneys to bring a formal complaint to the oversight arbitrator of the Hawks regarding the action of all involved members,” Safa said.
The next thing I know Jordaan sent me a contract to sign. I refused. Three weeks later I got a copy of that same contract, signed by Jordaan, which was unlawful in terms of Safa rules
Dennis Mumble
Former Safa CEO