JOHANNESBURG - Ria Ledwaba’s appointment as vice-president of the South African Football Association was received with joy and cheers two years ago, but her tenure abruptly ended after she was dismissed for “engaged with a third party”.
Having been part of the Safa structures since 1989, Ledwaba has been passionate about the growth and development of women’s football. When she sold her club Ria Stars to the Premier Soccer League in the early 2000s, she put her focus on Safa matters.
Her hard work was rewarded in 2018 when she was elected as Safa's first woman vice-president alongside Xolile Nkompela and Gay Mokoena.
Ledwaba was also one of the masterminds of the National Women’s League formed this season.
But Ledwaba’s role as one of Safa president Danny Jordaan’s advisers ended at the weekend, as Safa's national executive committee decided that she and Mokoena, who had earlier this year issued a report lambasting Jordaan’s leadership, were not fit to continue as vice-presidents.
“The Safa constitution provides the right to the national executive committee to appoint the vice-presidents as they are no longer elected at the national congress," Safa said in a statement on Sunday.
"In Saturday’s meeting, the overwhelming majority of the national executive members expressed their disappointment in both vice-presidents ... in their handling of Safa matters in the public domain and their engagement with third parties.
“The NEC expressed their disappointment and displeasure at the two’s violation of the Safa's laid down internal processes and understood this as lack of confidence in the association’s constitutional and governance structures.
"It is on this basis that the NEC decided that the two vice-presidents should be removed and replaced.”
Ledwaba and Mokoena will continue as members of the NEC.
The NEC also confirmed the appointment of Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe as Safa's chief executive until December.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the progress of football, the Safa NEC also made some decisions about the resumption of the sport.
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) June 21, 2020
After considering the expert advice of the association’s head of medical team Dr Thulani Ngwenya, Safa said in the statement that the “National Women’s League will be declared concluded and that the current log standings, with a handful of matches to be played, be declared final".
“It is on this basis that Mamelodi Sundowns Women’s team is declared the league champions for the inaugural 2019/20 season. The Safa national executive committee further confirmed that Janine van Wyk Ladies team and MaIndies are both promoted to the NWL for next season.
“Ngwenya recommended that all other amateur leagues must remain suspended until the end of the lockdown or when the general environment is conducive to do so. This matter will be further revisited and discussed at a later stage,” Safa said.
Safa say they will continue to work with the National Soccer League to develop further proposals for submission to the government on the way forward, with Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa having allowed teams to resume with monitored training.