JOHANNESBURG – Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana on Wednesday afternoon filed a motion to interdict the Safa elections to be held on March 24.
In a week that has been characterised by plot twists with regards to the upcoming elective congress of the country’s football mother body – where incumbent Danny Jordaan hopes to cling to power by being voted for a second term – there continues to be a cloud of doubt around whether the elections will go ahead on the date scheduled.
Nonkonyana had threatened to see to it that Safa would be prevented from carrying on with what he and presidential candidate Ace Ncobo have called a flawed process, and one that has gone against Safa as well as Fifa statutes by bringing forward the date of the elections among several other “gross violations”.
The elections were originally set for September this year, until NEC members moved to change it at their extraordinary congress in December.
“As one of the leaders for change in South African football, I have taken a step to launch an urgent application in the South Gauteng High court today, pending the finalisation of my dispute at the same court and also in the light that we don’t have auditors and we don’t have an independent electoral commission,” said Chief Nonkonyana.
He was determined to challenge Jordaan for the presidency, but was told by Safa that he was ineligible because he was not part of any of the association’s structures.
“The entire process has been riddled with gross irregularities and manipulation by current Safa president Dr Danny Jordaan and his lackeys.
Safa announced recently that Danny Jordaan had received 52 nominations for the upcoming elections. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
“Hence I want this entire process to start from the beginning, so we can all be part and parcel of electing a credible leadership that can take South African football to new and greater heights.”
Nonkonyana was removed from his role as Safa deputy president and a national executive member in 2014 for allegedly speaking out of turn by prescribing mandates to then-Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund to the media.
He has been fighting for his way back since – launching another bid earlier this year ahead of the Safa elections next week.
Former Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, ex-national team coach Shakes Mashaba and businessman Tokyo Sexwale were also prohibited from running for the presidential post by the same Safa electoral code.
But Ace Ncobo emerged as a candidate late last month, rather unexpectedly as he received a single nomination (on the record at least, because he has claimed that he signed more than just one acceptance form) from the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape.
@SABCNewsOnline @KickOffMagazine @IOLsport @Soccer_Laduma @eNCA whilst @SAFA_net is focussing on @AceNcobo boom!!! Interdict loading.... pic.twitter.com/tCxYHSye6b
— Ace Ncobo (@AceNcobo) March 14, 2018
Jordaan on the other hand, according to audit firm KPMG, received 52 nominations.
Ncobo has joined forces with Nonkonyana to try and oust Jordaan from the hot seat, and he achieved a small victory last Friday when the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) withdrew from assisting Safa with overseeing the elections.
Independent Media is in possession of a written letter from IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo to Safa CEO Dennis Mumble confirming that the electoral body should not be appointed to administer the elections for a second time.
“I confirm that the Electoral Commission had initially acceded to the request to assist the South African Football Association with its elective congress scheduled March 24, and had thereby tacitly accepted the appointment of the Electoral Committee for Safa,” part of the letter read, with the withdrawal on the second page after Mamabolo stated reasons why the IEC were pulling out.
“The Electoral Commission therefore submits that the request in your letter dated 8 January 2018 is not competent as it is in conflict with the provisions of the Safa statutes, read together with the Safa electoral code.
“The decision of the Electoral Commission to withdraw from the Safa elective conference is therefore predicated on the fact that it is no longer competent to be appointed by Safa as its committee for a second term.”
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