Sexwale unveils Fifa election manifesto

Toyko Sexwale has unveiled an election manifesto which will underpin his campaign to replace Sepp Blatter as the president of Fifa.

Toyko Sexwale has unveiled an election manifesto which will underpin his campaign to replace Sepp Blatter as the president of Fifa.

Published Nov 19, 2015

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Johannesburg – South African businessman Toyko Sexwale has unveiled an election manifesto which will underpin his campaign to replace Sepp Blatter as the president of Fifa (International Federation of Association Football) when voting takes place on February 2016.

Some of the salient features of the manifesto which presidential candidate Sexwale headlines “For a renewed Fifa” include the need to understand that these are difficult times for the world body.

“This Manifesto is the basis for a turn-around strategy, not only to repair the damage done to the Fifa brand globally, but more so, to restructure the organisation and win back the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders – fans, players, officials, administrators, partners, sponsors, governments, the media and other important players including children who are football’s future.”

Sexwale said that the Football Associations (FA’s) from all 205 countries must have ownership of Fifa through directly electing the Executive at Congress, in the same way they elect the president. He says this will resolve the electoral discrepancy of FA’s only electing the president at congress whose “cabinet” is appointed elsewhere.

“This full transparency of the electoral process shall ensure that Fifa adheres to the principles of international best practice and good governance which is today’s yardstick for measuring global organisation like ours.

“This manifesto therefore, is in full support of the decision by the Fifa Executive Committee to set in motion the process of the 2016 Fifa Reform Committee, appointed by the six Fifa Confederations, aimed at recommending “significant changes to Fifa’s institutional structure and operational processes”.

“The watchword is Transparency – both in decision-making and in financial management and control systems.

Sexwale says Fifa is an organisation of relatively wealthy and needy Members Associations.

“This reality is a reflection of our world of rich and poor nations. Therefore, the development support and financial assistance programme for less well-to-do FAs must be strengthened. While maintaining adequate cash reserves to maintain Fifa as a going concern, a prudent distribution of funds to FAs will be done in an equitable and responsible manner.

“Football the world’s biggest sport, must continue to be enhanced in all 205 nations. It is currently played by approximately 300 million people and watched by billions across the world. There is room for more growth and development. This is my strategic priority.

“Thus, the vast and yet-to-be fully tapped market of football in large societies, eg China and India, will receive more attention with the strong probability of increased revenue sources from these large economic areas.

“Concerning the game in football’s traditional areas like Europe; everything shall be done to ensure its growth because it is not in every part of Europe that football is played in major centres like Wembley, Benebeau or Allianz. There are disadvantaged areas in Europe, far away from the glare of cameras at centres such as Wembley.

“The importance of the growth of football in wealthier territories of the world cannot be over-emphasised as more revenues for the game emanate therefrom. Thus, the goose that lays the golden egg needs to be nurtured.”

Sexwale says the the greatest area of need for the development of football away from centres like Europe is in the developing world – Oceania, parts Concacaf, parts of Asia and parts of Conmebol.

“Of all these areas of vast need is Africa, which at the bottom of the ladder is the poorest of them all. Consequently, a special emphasis ought to be devoted to the development of the game among Africa’s approximately one billion people. This is only logical.

“No serious-minded football development programme can ever be complete without paying attention to one of the biggest untapped markets in the game: women’s participation in football. In many societies, they constitute the majority.

“Attracting more women into the beautiful game, both as participants, spectators, more executive members and so on, can only enhance the growth of the sport.”

Sexwale is all in favour of a hands-on president. “The importance of being a hands-on president with a personal touch and measured authority over the Secretary General can never be over-emphasised.

“In this light, my track record as a former Premier, Government Minister and business executive in charge of, or having served on boards of global companies, whose asset value is larger than those in Fifa’s coffers, shall come in handy to turn the situation around.

“My global corporate experience with links and networks to many major global companies, is an advantage to ensure that more and high quality sponsors are negotiated into our game to bolster our coffers.

“An open door policy to the president’s office shall be the norm to allow stakeholders easier access. Every FA’s President will have direct tele-contact with myself. They need not bang the door to see their own Fifa president on very serious matters.

“Many FAs, especially those from less developed economies, run their football administrations with shoe-string budgets. Up and above the financial allocations from Fifa, in order to address this situation, and to help boost their coffers, the following shall be undertaken to ensure financial independence:

“Interaction with local/country-based corporates to assist FAs in their drive for sponsorships, including other fund raising events. This will strengthen the hand of FAs in respect of running leagues and monitoring clubs both at professional and amateur levels.

“FAs also need to have a strong developmental system regarding football facilities such as training grounds, playing fields and football academies.

“The majority of football playing fields in the world are bare brown patches versus lush green pitches. The development strategy of my presidency will ensure that at the end of the day the ratio of brown patches to green pitches improves significantly for the better in every country under the stewardship of the FAs.

Sexwale also mentioned the motto that ‘Fifa Unites and Racism Divides’. “Of all threats to the united spirit of our game the greatest of them all is racism and other forms of discrimination. This is because racism in particular divides human beings and destroys the game itself – it is toxic!

“Therefore, to address the growing criticism that Fifa is too soft on this question, the Anti-Racism Task Force shall be elevated to a Fifa Standing Committee, to be chaired by one of the Fifa vice presidents with myself as the president being an ex-officio member. The time has come for severe steps to be taken against this evil, for the sake of the beautiful game.” – African News Agency (ANA)

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