Court bid to stop Safa elections struck off the roll

25 May 2018 - 15:10 By Marc Strydom
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Safa president Danny Jordaan (L) and CEO Dennis Mumble (R) during the special announcement at SAFA House.
Safa president Danny Jordaan (L) and CEO Dennis Mumble (R) during the special announcement at SAFA House.
Image: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

An urgent application at the Johannesburg High Court to halt the South African Football Association’s (Safa) elective congress on Saturday was struck off the roll on Friday.

Incumbent Danny Jordaan is expected to be overwhelmingly elected for a second term as Safa president in the election at Sandton Convention Centre.

The application was brought by three Local Football Associations (LFAs)‚ Matsatsantsa Football Club and their owner‚ Sello Nkwana.

It was based on agreements that were reached out of court between the LFAs‚ Safa Waterberg Region and Safa‚ on March 6 when an initial March 24 elective congress was put off.

Safa’s legal officer Tebogo Motlanthe said: “The matter was struck off the roll because‚ firstly‚ it lacked urgency‚ and secondly‚ they did not follow the court manual lodging their papers.

“The judge just said he was not happy with the way they lodged their papers‚ not following the court manual.”

Safa's legal team argued that the applicants had from April 28‚ when the date for the elective congress was set at an extraordinary congress‚ to make their application‚ so an urgent application was unnecessary.

The lawyer for the applicants‚ James Morero‚ said they will continue to try with their efforts even after the election has been held on Saturday.

“The urgency matter was the problem‚” Morero said. “We filed papers yesterday for today.

“In any case we foresaw that we may have a problem with that.

“The client is saying that – because the matter was not dismissed‚ but was struck off the roll‚ which means you can still bring it within the normal roll – that if they proceed with the congress on Saturday he is willing to come back and apply to nullify the congress.”

Former referee Andile ‘Ace’ Ncobo is set to stand against Jordaan in the Safa election.


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