2010 World Cup bribery claims ‘an insult to Madiba and Tutu’: Jordaan

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 17: Danny Jordaan during the SAFA press conference at SAFA House on October 17, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 17: Danny Jordaan during the SAFA press conference at SAFA House on October 17, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)
By Tiso Black Star Group Digital

Danny Jordaan said that he and the South African Football Association (Safa) “worked hard” and did not pay a $10-million bribe to secure the rights to host the 2010 World Cup.

“I have not done a corrupt thing in my life‚” he insisted‚ before telling the interviewer: “Don’t cast aspersions.”

Jordaan‚ who is the African National Congress (ANC) mayoral candidate for the Nelson Mandela Bay metro‚ led the bid for the World Cup.

Nelson Mandela‚ and not bribery‚ he told Eyewitness News in an interview published on Wednesday‚ had clinched the rights to host the tournament in South Africa.

“…Neither the FBI nor Fifa has ever said that South Africa bought the World Cup with bribes. It is an insult to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu‚” Jordaan said.

“Look at the indictment. There is not a single South African name mentioned there‚” he added.

He also took aim at local media for pursuing the claims‚ saying: “It is only South Africans that raise this.

“I don’t want to say it that is a white media in the country…but it’s a fact. And we must move away from that thing…when we know there is no factual basis.”

He also claimed to have a letter from Fifa saying it was the best “World Cup ever”.

The Sunday Times reported in May 2015 about a letter that was sent from South Africa to Fifa headquarters “instructing” the world governing body to pay $10-million to a Caribbean football union.

The letter was signed by then Safa president Molefi Oliphant. “In it Oliphant tells Fifa to pay over the money — about R120-million at today’s rates — to the Caribbean Football Union‚” reported the Sunday Times.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has denied that bribes were paid to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup.

Nelson Mandela Bay will be fiercely contested territory during the upcoming local government elections. Jordaan is confident that the metro will be retained by the ANC.

Jordaan also defended his appointment of controversial former prisons boss Linda Mti as the metro’s security head‚ during the interview.

Link to EWN story:

http://ewn.co.za/2016/06/29/First-on-EWN-Danny-Jordaan-denies-corruption-allegations-defends-Linda-Mti

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