Johannesburg - Safa’s presidential candidate Ria Ledwaba says her main focus within the association would be ensuring that grassroots football gets the support it deserves if she won the elections on June 25.
Ledwaba has been involved in football circles for decades, having been famously known for forming the defunct Ria Stars, which pioneered the careers of players such as Tsholofelo Modise.
However, she climbed up in the corporate ladder as she’s been part of the Safe structures for nine years, as she served the first four years as the National Executive Committee member.
In the last five years, she served as one of the vice-presidents to incumbent Danny Jordaan whom she’s contesting for the top seat in South African football, alongside Solly Ngwako Mohlabeng.
After being cleared by Safa’s independent governance committee on Monday to run for the presidency, Lebwaba began with her manifesto campaign at FNB Stadium on Wednesday morning.
Addressing the media for the first time since she was prevented from attending her first press conference as she was not cleared then, Ledwaba detailed how she’d run the association in future.
“There is no fundings for the 343 Local Football Associations (LFAS). And things should start being fixed from there. They do not start at Bafana Bafana, but at grassroots level,” Ledwaba explained.
“It’s time when resources are spent in appropriate ways. All the LFA’S needs to be resourced. And they must not only rely on the R35 000 from the region, which they are lucky to get at times.”
“The grant money from Fifa must be given to LFAs, and not be used to pay salaries. The legends of football must be in charge of school sports and work in partnership with teachers as well.”
On the eve of her manifesto, it emerged Ledwaba had served court papers seeking to stop the Safa elections, while Caf also responded on the matter, saying they are monitoring proceedings closely.
IOL Sport