JOHANNESBURG - Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana on Wednesday filed a motion to interdict the South African Football Association's presidential elections to be held on March 24.
In a week 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 over whether the elections will go ahead on the date scheduled.
Nonkonyana had threatened to see to it that Safa will be prevented from carrying on with what he and presidential candidate Ace Ncobo have called a flawed process that has gone against Safa and 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 National Exectuive Committee members moved to change it at their extraordinary congress last 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, 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, who wanted to challenge Jordaan for the presidency but was told by Safa that he was ineligible because he was not part of any of Safa’s structures.
“The entire process has been riddled with gross irregularities and manipulation by current Safa president Dr Danny Jordaan and his lackeys. 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 SA football to new and greater heights.”
Nonkonyana was removed from his role as Safa deputy president and an NEC member in 2014 for allegedly speaking out of turn, 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.
Ncobo in, IEC out
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 Ncobo unexpectedly emerged as a candidate late last month as he received a single nomination (on the record, at least, as he claimed he signed more than just one acceptance form) from the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape.
Jordaan, according to audit firm KPMG, received 52 nominations.
Ncobo has joined forces with Nonkonyana to try and oust Jordaan 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.”
@superjourno