When Danny Jordaan won his third term as president of the South African Football Association (Safa), he promised it would be his last.
He had just resoundingly defeated his two challengers, Ria Ledwaba and Solly Mohabeng, by winning 186 votes to Ledwaba’s 27 and Mohabeng’s eight at the 2022 Safa congress. Probably feeling magnanimous in victory, he told congress delegates: “For the next term, 2026 to 2030, I won’t be there. This is my last term.”
But then, over the course of four years he changed his mind, digging in his heels and showing no signs of wanting to move to the departure lounge of Safa House.
In the corridors of power, names of possible successors were being whispered — former Bafana Bafana captain and local football’s greatest export Lucas Radebe among them.
However, what seemed clear to everyone was that unless Jordaan stuck to his initial promise, there would be no new head honcho at Safa House. The national football association’s leadership is elected by delegates from Safa’s 52 regions and most of them are said to be loyal to Jordaan.
Hence, with a few months to the September congress, there has not been any serious contender for the presidency, leaving many resigned to Jordaan extending his stay at the helm to 17 years.
Like all great women and men among us, sometimes they need to be assisted to see the exit door so that their greatness can be enhanced ... well into the future
— Sandile Zungu
That was until this week when KZN-based business tycoon and AmaZulu FC owner Sandile Zungu announced he was throwing his hat into the ring.
The 59-year-old mechanical engineer, who cut his teeth in business as an associate at African Merchant Bank helping to negotiate early BEE deals before becoming the CEO of a trade union investment company in 1997, believes he can succeed where Ledwaba, Mohabeng and many others have failed.
Whereas most of those who ran against Jordaan in the past adopted a confrontational approach, pointing to the man’s shortcomings as a leader as well as the numerous controversies that have dogged him, Zungu this week struck a balanced note — acknowledging what he sees as the successes of the current leadership while talking about what he thinks can be done better.
“Make no mistake, there’s a lot of work still to be done and a lot has been done thus far. Most important for me, is that one is not in a war but in a contestation. One is not pursuing a campaign that seeks to denigrate anybody, that seeks to highlight the weaknesses in one’s adversary.
“On the contrary, one sees the good work and it’s a legacy that needs to be kept alive,” he told me during our interview this week.
Among that “good work” is the appointment of Hugo Broos, a national coach who succeeded in qualifying Bafana Bafana for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 and became the first coach to take the team to the knockout stages of the tournament. Both Bafana, and the women’s national soccer team, Banyana, are now recognised as being among the top teams on the continent while their junior teams are slowly gaining respect.
But Zungu believes South African football can reach even greater heights and that, in order for the sport to reach its full potential, the old guard — as epitomised by the 75-year-old Jordaan — should be encouraged to retire.
“But like all great women and men among us, sometimes they need to be assisted to see the exit door so that their greatness can be enhanced, you know, well into the future.
“So, for me yes, a lot of work needs to be done in terms of quantity. But even more qualitative work needs to be done to persuade all and sundry that we’re not enemies, we are not rivals. I just happen to recognise the need for change which needs to be articulated,” Zungu said.
What does this change entail and why should he be at the centre of it all?
“I’m equal to the task of ushering South African football into a golden era where our status as the number one footballing nation on the continent is not in dispute.
“Where we are in the top 10 of footballing nations in the world in terms of multiple factors in the matrix — not just the performance of Bafana Bafana or Banyana Banyana but in the complexity of the matrix. That change requires leadership.”
Through his Zungu Investment Company (Zico), which he founded in 2002, the man who is nicknamed “Gwabs”, short for one of his clan names, Gwabini, has interests in mining, manufacturing, property and forensics, and is chair of Sizekhaya Holdings, the operator of the national lottery.
He has played leading roles in business lobby organisations such as the Black Business Council and the Brics Business Council.
It is this business experience as well as the vast networks that he has built over the years that he believes can benefit Safa and the football community. Although soccer is regarded as the country’s number one sport and is followed by the vast majority of citizens, it does not enjoy the commercial support and sponsorship of codes such as rugby and cricket.
While some attribute this to corporate South Africa’s inability to shake off past racial biases where a sporting code that is mostly supported by blacks gets less than those that are historically white, Zungu believes soccer’s greatest challenge is governance.
“It leaves much to be desired. We have, for example, defunct structures. Some regions have not accounted to their constituencies, some for years. There are some regional leadership structures that are not run in a manner that inspires confidence in grassroot constituencies, let alone commercial interests.
“The bottom line is that Safa can be improved and that’s why I’m interested in being at the centre of the improvement.”
If he succeeds in his bid, Zungu would have to step down as AmaZulu FC president and leave the running of the club to his daughter Sinenjabulo, its CEO
The organisation, he says, is often bedeviled by scandals which drive potential partners and sponsors away. Although on the field of play, Bafana’s performance has helped attract massive sponsorships from the likes of Standard Bank and adidas, controversies in the administration mean the organisation always punches below its weight, says Zungu.
A month before the congress, Jordaan and Safa’s chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo will be appearing before the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court on charges relating to the alleged misuse of R1.3m of Safa’s money for the president’s personal benefit.
His presidency, Zungu argues, would mean an end to such controversies.
“I’ve been in business for 40 years, one way or the other, as an entrepreneur. I’ve never been called to account for [mismanagement of] finances and I’m not going to start now.
“A misstep on financial management can be fatal. So my commitment is to respect resources that are placed in my care, to account for every rand spent under my supervision,” he said.
While Zungu insists that he is in the running, there is scepticism about his eligibility, given that the likes of Radebe have in the past run campaigns only to learn that they did not qualify in terms of Safa’s constitution.
One such rule is that those standing for office at national level must have been active in the association, at regional level or above, for 10 years. But Zungu’s lobbyists believe he would qualify given that he is involved in the game as a club owner and served as chair of Safa’s remuneration committee for years.
If he succeeds in his bid, Zungu would have to step down as AmaZulu FC president and leave the running of the club to his daughter Sinenjabulo, its CEO.
Among those who have already come out to support his bid are Safa vice-president Bennett Bailey who had to shelve his own presidential campaign recently.
“Everyone in the Western Cape is supporting him and we will lobby for him,” Bailey told Sowetan on Tuesday. “Northern Cape, North West and Mpumalanga … I was told we are doing well there, there is also Limpopo.
“We have enough support in all provinces. He is a good candidate, he comes with fresh ideas.”
But is this enough to unseat Jordaan, a man who, in different guises, has been the face of national football for most of the past 30 years?
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.