CAPE TOWN - The embattled South African Football Association (Safa) has hit back at the allegations of its former acting chief executive Gay Mokoena, who aired his grievances in a confidential letter to fellow national executive committee (NEC) members, and which was leaked to the media.
In the letter which he labelled the ‘Mokoena Report’, the former CEO sheds light on his four-month stay at Safa before, as he claims, he was unceremoniously shown the door by Safa president Danny Jordaan.
As a result, the CEO’s position is vacant, and Mokoena felt a replacement should have been installed before he was removed.
Mokoena goes on to deliver a stinging attack on Jordaan, who he alleges flouted the constitution several times regarding matters of staff appointments and governance.
The NEC is due to meet soon and Mokoena wanted to alert NEC members about his concerns, rather than raise a multitude of matters directly with Safa’s hierarchy.
Mokoena is still one of the association’s four vice-presidents and that means he is still very much an integral part of national football’s governing body.
Safa’s statement in part reads: “It is with disappointment that we have noticed that a confidential letter by former Acting CEO, Mr Gay Mokoena to be tabled and discussed by the NEC, has been circulated to the media even before the Association had the opportunity to develop a response.
“The Association’s normal process and protocol to submit reports and documents to the NEC is through Safa Sub-Committees, Administration and or through the President.
“That was not the case in this instant as the report was submitted directly to NEC members by Mr Mokoena.
“The former acting CEO has not, in the four months that he held the position, in his tenure as the NEC member, chair of Finance Committee and the time that he has been the vice-president, raised the issues in his report, nor has he submitted a single statement, grievance, terms of engagement or his contract to NEC members.”
Among Mokoena’s many concerns are matters of corporate governance and bureaucracy.
Mokoena said: “The president (Jordaan) appointed a member of the national executive committee, Mr Mxolisi Sibam, a chairperson of the audit and risk committee, to do consulting work at the Association without the necessary approval from the NEC. Corporate governance requires that the chairperson of the audit committee is independent.
“The president dismissed staff without the approval of the NEC. The provincial technical officers have been terminated on or around the 18th of April but to be effected retrospectively on 30 March 2020. This practice is unprocedural and illegal."
Safa’s statement concludes with confirmation that the NEC has expressed its continued support and confidence in the leadership of Jordaan as the president of Safa.