Jordaan faces rebellion before Safa NEC meeting

Danny Jordaan could be fighting for survival as Safa president this weekend as some national executive committee (NEC) members will propose he step aside and make way for Irvin Khoza to take over on a temporary basis.

Bhudha Mathathe, a Safa NEC member, confirmed on Wednesday that a section of the NEC has been lobbying for Jordaan to not even take the podium and chair Saturday’s executive meeting — the first since the Safa president appeared in court on fraud charges late last year.

“He’s on bail facing serious charges, so he should not be at the NEC, let alone chair it,” Mathathe said on Wednesday.

“We don’t want him there because he would be violating his bail conditions, which say he should not interfere with witnesses.

“We know that Dr Irvin Khoza is one of the witnesses. There are NEC members who may be witnesses too. It’s nothing personal — he has to follow the law.”

Mathathe said if Jordaan is persuaded to recuse himself, “there’s only one suitable candidate of the four Safa vice-presidents to steer the ship on a temporary basis — and that is Dr Khoza”.

Asked if it would be viable for Khoza, who is PSL chair, to lead Safa, Mathathe responded: “He won’t have to be there on a full-time basis. He would provide guidance.

“We are in a difficult financial position where we are failing to pay salaries and national teams. Dr Khoza has the expertise to get us out of these problems.”

Mathathe said he had heard rumours Safa planned to suspend him and two fellow NEC members, Gladwyn White and Monde Montshiwa, for being too vocal against Jordaan’s embattled regime.

“I have heard I could face suspension but that won’t pass because I was elected by the Safa congress. I can’t be suspended by NEC members,” he retorted.

Safa statutes state that “only the congress may suspend a member. However, the NEC may suspend a member that seriously violates obligations with immediate effect”.

White, meanwhile, refused to comment, saying he will do so “at the right time”.

Jordaan is understood to be mustering support to counter any planned rebellion against his regime.

It is understood some of his loyalists have attempted to get the three NEC members barred from Saturday’s meeting, for which there was still no known venue or agenda by Wednesday.

Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao did not respond to a request for comment.

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