Jordaan defends R5-million payout

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Danny Jordaan did receive Safa loot but former World Cup boss insists theres nothing untoward about R5m package he received. Photo by Duif du Toit

Danny Jordaan did receive a R5-million payout from the SA Football Association – but it was all above board, he said yesterday.

Commenting for the first time following allegations he “paid himself a severance package” after vacating his seat as Safa’s chief executive, Jordaan yesterday produced a letter detailing his settlement as evidence he did not authorise his own payment.

“It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest I paid myself,” said Jordaan, who quit temporarily in 2004 as Safa CEO to head up the World Cup 2010, and then completely vacated the position at the conclusion of the World Cup. He has now returned as the organisation’s fourth vice-president.

“I worked as Safa CEO from 1997, so yes there was payment due to me. All other former CEOs who left also were entitled to payment. The likes of (Albert) Mokoena, Leslie Sedibe and Raymond Hack were paid upon leaving the association. There was nothing untoward with my payment because it covered things like pension and leave days for the 17 years I worked as CEO. I handled huge amounts, billions, on behalf of Fifa and I did not steal even a single cent.”

Jordaan’s response was prompted by an anonymous document which accused him and the Safa executive of financial mismanagement and “looting”. The unsigned document, which The Star has seen, was dropped off at the offices of Sascoc, who handed it over to the Hawks.

No one has come forward to claim responsibility for its circulation, but it makes serious allegations, claiming the cash-strapped Safa spent “R123m on themselves” in a period of just 15 months.

It also accused Jordaan of “single-handedly authorising procurement of 36 Mercedes Benz” vehicles for the Safa executive, using part of the R450m profit from the World Cup, which Fifa handed over to Safa.

But Jordaan produced a section of minutes from the World Cup local organising committee which shows “the directors” of the company authorised the purchase of 25, and not 36, luxury vehicles.

“The directors resolved to approve a grant of R8,9m to Safa for the further development of football, specifically for the purchase of 25 Mercedes Benz vehicles,” read the minutes dated 25 August 2011. Underneath, signatures of Jordaan, Safa president Kirsten Nematandani and vice-president Mwelo Nonkonyana appear.

“We needed these vehicles for our provincial administrators to perform their day-to-day duties,” reasoned Safa’s acting chief executive Dennis Mumble. “They pay for their own fuel, but we do reimburse them when they attend NEC meetings. Those cars belong to Safa not any individual.”

Meanwhile, a Safa delegation yesterday finally met with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) at Olympic House.

“We covered issues relating to allegations of match-fixing and financial instability, and claims of interference from a body called the Football Transformation Forum,” said Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy.

“Safa indicated to us that they had resolved to institute an independent judicial commission to investigate match-fixing claims, and that commission should complete its job within three months. They also sent the Fifa report on match-fixing to the Hawks.”

Reddy said Safa had also dismissed claims of financial instability. “They say they are not in the red, and referred us to their audited financial statement from last year, but we asked for one detailing their current state, which they’ve agreed to hand to us soon.”

Contents of the anonymous dossier, Reddy said, were not discussed. “I handed that document over to the Hawks because I’m not a law-enforcement officer. We could also not engage Safa on a faceless document.”

Sascoc will also hand complaints they’ve received from Safa regions and await a response from the football governing body. - The Star