By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Danny Jordaan has not declared yet if He will stand or not for presidency of the South African Football Association for a third successive term.
In the last elective congress, Jordaan ran unopposed after Ace Ngcobo withdrew at the 11th hour. But he is set to run for a third term in a row after the elective congress, which will not be later than August 30.
While there has been a concerted effort among ordinary Safa members for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the affairs of the organisation.
At their 30th ordinary congress that was hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday, the members of the National Executive Committee and Local Football Association agreed that all amendments be adopted.
Safa ethics and legal eagle Poobalan Govindasamy said upholding of constitutional amendments was the culmination of work they have been doing since 2018.
Upon the start of the congress, there was commotion. Jordaan called security on Ngoako “Solly” Mohlabeng, the Safa president in Tshwane who had publicly admitted that he’d contest for the association’s top position later this year.
Mohlabeng disrespected the congress by wanting to ask Jordaan to do a roll call before they could get the congress underway. But Mohlabeng felt that he was already targeted by the Safa leadership even before the congress started.
He has since been suspended by the association, with SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe confirming that he will write to him on Monday while he’s set to stand before the disciplinary committee on account of disrespecting the proceedings of the congress.
“He wanted to speak even before the meeting could even start. The agenda of this congress is prescribed by the statues. And the first item says that the chief executive officer must say if the congress was in line with the statues,” he said.
In the past, one of the constitution amendments that raised eyebrows and created controversy was one declaring that the chairperson of the PSL cannot run for the Safa presidency.
It was agreed that the chairman of the PSL, Irvin Khoza, cannot run for the presidency. However, he’ll still automatically serve as the vice-president of the association – having served in that position for the past 23 years. It was upheld that the PSL club owners are barred from running for the presidency.
This block the road for Chippa United FC boss Chippa Mpengesi, who reportedly wanted to challenge incumbent Jordaan.
There was also a new rule in the constitution that the vice-presidents can’t be elected by the congress in accordance with Caf and Fifa statues. That means that the Safa president will elect his two other deputies, besides the NSL head honcho.