The South African Football Association (Safa)‚ according to its constitution‚ “is neutral in matters of politics and religion”.
This‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) said today‚ would preclude Danny Jordaan from being both the president of Safa and the mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
“As president of Safa‚ Jordaan must exemplify the principled application of Safa’s constitution and its regulations‚” the DA’s shadow sports minister Solly Malatsi said in a statement.
“His deployment as a cadre of the African National Congress (ANC) to a highly volatile political arena when Safa is just recovering from a lengthy period of instability‚ does not bode well for the continued recovery of Safa‚” Malatsi said.
The soccer boss’s appointment follows an intervention by senior ANC figures — including party secretary-general‚ Gwede Mantashe — who are visiting the region.
He replaces 82-year-old Ben Fihla‚ who has been unable to unite the region and focus local government on delivery.
The ANC-led metro has been hamstrung by factional battles and is widely believed to be heading for an electoral defeat by the DA in next year’s local government elections.
On Monday‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called “for the immediate resignation of Jordaan as the president of the South African Football Association (Safa) following his acceptance of the position of mayor…on behalf of the kleptocratic ANC”.
“At the helm of Safa must be a person that all the supporters of Bafana Bafana‚ Banyana Banyana‚ and the rest of national soccer teams can associate with regardless of which political parties they belong to‚” the EFF said.
“It is obvious that Jordaan has elected to be the messiah of the kleptocratic and collapsing ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay and he must therefore do the honourable thing and vacate Safa with immediate effect.”
On Tuesday‚ the DA’s Malatsi said: “The reality is that by occupying both roles in the lead-up to the 2016 local government elections‚ Jordaan will become the most politically partisan sport administrator in the country.
Malatsi said his party “will be curious to see how Jordaan will deal with this situation which clearly rises to the level of a conflict of interest when his party’s policies clash with those of Safa” and those of the continental and world governing bodies.
“Jordaan must do the honourable thing and recuse himself from the presidency of Safa.”
Safa constitution could preclude Jordaan from dual roles
This‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) said today‚ would preclude Danny Jordaan from being both the president of Safa and the mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
“As president of Safa‚ Jordaan must exemplify the principled application of Safa’s constitution and its regulations‚” the DA’s shadow sports minister Solly Malatsi said in a statement.
“His deployment as a cadre of the African National Congress (ANC) to a highly volatile political arena when Safa is just recovering from a lengthy period of instability‚ does not bode well for the continued recovery of Safa‚” Malatsi said.
The soccer boss’s appointment follows an intervention by senior ANC figures — including party secretary-general‚ Gwede Mantashe — who are visiting the region.
He replaces 82-year-old Ben Fihla‚ who has been unable to unite the region and focus local government on delivery.
The ANC-led metro has been hamstrung by factional battles and is widely believed to be heading for an electoral defeat by the DA in next year’s local government elections.
On Monday‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called “for the immediate resignation of Jordaan as the president of the South African Football Association (Safa) following his acceptance of the position of mayor…on behalf of the kleptocratic ANC”.
“At the helm of Safa must be a person that all the supporters of Bafana Bafana‚ Banyana Banyana‚ and the rest of national soccer teams can associate with regardless of which political parties they belong to‚” the EFF said.
“It is obvious that Jordaan has elected to be the messiah of the kleptocratic and collapsing ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay and he must therefore do the honourable thing and vacate Safa with immediate effect.”
On Tuesday‚ the DA’s Malatsi said: “The reality is that by occupying both roles in the lead-up to the 2016 local government elections‚ Jordaan will become the most politically partisan sport administrator in the country.
Malatsi said his party “will be curious to see how Jordaan will deal with this situation which clearly rises to the level of a conflict of interest when his party’s policies clash with those of Safa” and those of the continental and world governing bodies.
“Jordaan must do the honourable thing and recuse himself from the presidency of Safa.”
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