SAFA NEC Meeting Collapses: Source Slams ‘Jealous’ Disruptors After Mega Sponsorship Deals
A high-ranking source within the South African Football Association (SAFA) has labeled the individuals who disrupted last weekend’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as “jealous” and “determined to destroy” the organization.
The meeting at SAFA House in Nasrec on Saturday descended into chaos when four members—Monde Montshiwa, Gladwyn White, Bhudda Mathathe, and Lebogang Riet—clashed with security.
Security initially prevented the four members from entering the meeting, although they were eventually allowed inside. Once in the boardroom, tensions escalated, with one of the members pointing a finger at SAFA president Jordaan Jordaan, who was seated alongside NEC members Nastasia Chiklas and Bennet Bailey.
According to the source, the disruption came as a result of SAFA having secured two major commercial partnerships — a kit sponsorship deal with Adidas and a sponsorship agreement with Standard Bank, which was announced last Monday.
As tensions escalated, the meeting was abandoned and will be rescheduled.
The source also noted that SAFA had covered travel expenses for NEC members attending the meeting, including accommodation and meals.
“First things first, the $10 million that was investigated by FIFA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, British authorities and Swiss authorities,” the source said.
“They concluded that nobody in South Africa paid that money to anybody, and the matter is closed.
“The question is, why should only Jordaan — who was CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee — be investigated? What about the chairman of the LOC, [Irvin Khoza]? Why is he not being investigated?
“This is a targeted campaign. They are losing the campaign, and they were angry during the meeting and threatened everyone. But we are not afraid of them — they should not turn a meeting into a farce.
“They were determined that the meeting should not continue. Also, the reason they behaved the way they did on Saturday [is because on Monday, Ria Ledwaba and Solly Mohlabeng] lost their appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal for the sixth consecutive time.”
Ledwaba and Mohlabeng were defeated by Jordaan in the SAFA presidential election held at the Sandton Convention Centre in June 2022. They later challenged the outcome in court, alleging that the election was rigged and unconstitutional.
“That was a heavy blow to them, and worse was still to come,” the source continued.
“On Monday we announced the sponsorship with Standard Bank, and now they are very angry. Then on Tuesday we launched the new jersey with Adidas.
“That pushed them over the edge. So they said, ‘Let’s go and stop the NEC meeting — that meeting will not happen.’
“They came to disrupt the meeting. It was very clear when they said: ‘This meeting will not continue. No meeting here.’
“We said, ‘Let’s keep our integrity and not allow it.’
“This was their plan.”
It remains unclear when SAFA will reconvene the NEC meeting.
“The members within SAFA are saying they must go. They are doing this because they know the elections are coming,” the source added.
SAFA’s presidential elections are scheduled for August, with Jordaan expected to stand for a fourth term.
“This is clear: the intention is not to improve anything, but to gang up with Monde and White to create disruption within SAFA,” the source said.
“They are angry because SAFA is securing sponsorships. This is about jealousy. SAFA wants to focus on preparing its teams for upcoming competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.”
