Danny Jordaan: SAFA boss faces internal rebellion ahead of key meeting

SAFA president Danny Jordaan faces a rebellion from within ahead of a planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Saturday.

Jordaan is currently out on bail, having been charged with fraud, and that is the stick with which a section of SAFA NEC members want to beat him with, with sources telling the Sowetan that he will not even be allowed to address the meeting.

According to SAFA NEC member Bhudha Mathathe, there is a push to have Jordaan step down with Orlando Pirates and PSL chairman Irvin Khoza taking over on a temporary basis.

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

Will Jordaan address the NEC meeting?

“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,” he added, while backing Khoza as the right man to take over if the embattled SAFA boss is kicked out.

“He [Khoza] 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,” said Mathathe.

Rebel SAFA members facing ouster bids

Mathathe himself is facing a battle to hold onto his position after learning that there is a push to have him suspended alongside other rebel NEC members Gladwyn White and Monde Montshiwa over their stance on Jordaan.

“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 said, adding: “Only the Congress may suspend a member. However, the NEC may suspend a member that seriously violates obligations with immediate effect.”

Jordaan is believed not to be ready to go down without a fight and is reportedly gathering support among his loyalists to have the ouster bid defeated.