Controversial South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan.
Controversial South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan woes are escalating as his rape accuser, singer Jennifer Ferguson, welcomed his arrest and appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday following fraud and theft charges levelled against him involving R1.3 million of Safa purse.
Ferguson who accused Jordaan of rape in 2017 and lost the case, lambasted the warped SAFA boss on her Facebook and said: “In his desperation to clean-up his image and character-assassinate me after the rape allegations are made public, he steals money from the Safa-development fund, intended for disadvantaged youth! Stealing to lie, and lying to steal. The tip of a melting iceberg of corruption. May justice be served this time.”
Jordaan and his co-accused CFO Gronnie Hluyo, Trevor Neethling and his entity (Grit Communications), were granted bail of R20 000 each.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the trio were all charged with three counts of fraud, three counts of theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud and theft.
“The allegations stem from a 12-month Service Level Agreement (SLA) allegedly entered by Safa, represented by Jordaan, and Grit Communications in December 2017 for the provision of Public Relations and communication services to Safa. The State alleges that Jordaan, in contravention of the Safastatutes, signed the SLA that was neither sanctioned nor approved by Safa, and that he and Neethling backdated the agreement to 01 October 2017.
“Jordaan is alleged to have employed Grit Communications for purposes of protecting his personal image following allegations of rape levelled against him in 2017,” said Mjonondwane.
She further said Safa president purportedly attained protection services of about R40 000, purported to be for Safa from Badger Security, during the Safa 2018 elective congress, whilst these protection services were allegedly exclusively rendered to him.
“According to Safa statutes, Jordaan was precluded from doing so, as only the CFO and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Safa were authorised to sign contractual agreements. The PR services were already rendered to Safa by its existing department that handled PR and communication.
“Despite full knowledge of the unauthorised and unlawful nature of the actions of both Jordaan and Neethling, it is alleged that Hluyo approved the payments to Grit Communications and Badger Security,” she said.
Safa’s legal representative Lesedi Mphahlele said it was a clear ploy to charge Jordaan in order to try and pressurise him to step aside.
Jordaan is not new to controversy, earlier the Safa president and his cronies who were gunning for former Safa deputy president Ria Ledwaba ate a humble pie after rescinding their decision to ban her from all domestic football activities.
Safa wrote a letter to Ledwaba informing her about their decision declaring her a persona non grata effectively banning her from all Safa programmes. Safa’s announcement on Ledwaba was met with rejection and contempt it deserves from various stakeholders, football fans, the public at large, civil right groups, political leaders and activists who expressed their disgust.
Instead of responding to Ledwaba's lawyers, Safa played mind games by lifting Ledwaba’s ban.
Her attorney and former Safa CEO Leslie Sedibe confirmed that indeed SAFA has retracted its decision to ban Ledwaba from participating in all local football activities in the country.
Sedibe said Ledwaba received a letter on March 19, 2024 from SAFA about their decision to withdraw from prohibiting Ledwaba. He said this clearly shows that there is a leadership crisis in SAFA. Sedibe added that SAFA is in total chaos and the centre is not holding.
“After thorough consultation with our legal team and studying the judgment further, we noted that the judge held that... you are no longer a member of SAFA, nor do you hold a position within a position of SAFA and as such have no 'loco standing' to invoke the SAFA statute. By virtue that you are nowhere within the structures of SAFA and as such, we have no jurisdiction over you, we regret having sent you a letter dated 6 March 2024, which is hereby withdrawn,” Sedibe quoted from the letter.
Ledwaba’s attorney said: “This is a demonstration of an organisation that has collapsed completely. They don't know what they are doing. I don't even believe that this decision, for persona non grata was taken by the NEC (National Executive Committee). Mr Jordaan, I am not going to call him doctor. Danny boy, we demand an apology. You must unreservedly apologise to Ms Ria Ledwaba, and you must explain to the people of South Africa why you took such an irresponsible decision together with the members of the NEC.”
Former Ria Stars club owner Ledwaba who has been entrenched in local football for over three decades has called on FIFA to disband SAFA under the leadership of its controversial leader Jordaan who has been accused of micromanaging and destroying South African football.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Jordaan will step aside as an ANC member and emulate Pule Mabe and Zizi Kodwa to clear his name.
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