Safa wields the axe
NEC: TWO VICE-PRESIDENTS REMOVED FROM POSTS
Disappointment in Mokoena, Ledwaba’s handling of internal matters in the public domain.
The South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed yesterday that they had removed two of their vice-presidents, Gay Mokoena and Ria Ledwaba, following their National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Saturday.
“The overwhelming majority of the NEC members expressed their disappointment in both vice-presidents Ria Ledwaba and Gay Mokoena in their handling of Safa matters in the public domain and their engagement with third parties,” read a Safa statement.
“The NEC expressed their displeasure at the two’s violation of… Safa’s laid down internal processes and understood this as a lack of confidence in the association’s constitutional and governance structures.
“It is on this basis that the NEC decided that the two vice-presidents should be removed and replaced.”
Mokoena left his post as acting CEO of Safa in mid-April, and sent a letter to the NEC entitled “The Mokoena Report,” leaked to the media, which accused president Danny Jordaan of going against his own organisation’s constitution in a variety of ways. Safa refuted the report and have now clearly decided to take further action.
Ledwaba, meanwhile, was taken to task for having written a letter to Sports and Recreation Minister Nathi Mthethwa, without first consulting the NEC.
The former owner of Ria Stars became the first female vice-president of Safa in June 2018. Safa said that they are now committed to adding another female vice-president to their ranks.
“The Safa Constitution guarantees that one woman, at the minimum, must be appointed as one of the vice-presidents and the association remains committed to promoting women in the decision-making structures,” read the statement.
Safa added that both Mokoena and Ledwaba would remain on their NEC.
In other decisions made at the NEC meeting, Safa added that they would be cancelling the Safa National Women’s League, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, currently top of the table, have been declared champions.
The statement said little about the resumption of the Premier Soccer League, meanwhile, except that: “On the National Soccer League (NSL), Safa will continue to work with the NSL to develop further proposals for submission to the government on the way forward.”
Acting Safa CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, meanwhile, who replaced Mokoena, was confirmed as staying in his post until December.