An ugly contest will tomorrow play out at the SAFA (South African Football Association) elections as Ria Ledwaba, the first female to contend for the position, will take on current President Danny Jordaan. The NEC of SAFA are set to meet at the Sandton Convention Center tomorrow, leading to a Special Congress (elective conference) on Saturday.
Having only had 14 days to rally support after an unsuccessful bid to gain an extension on the election date, Ledwaba will also collide with Safa Tshwane president Solly Mohlabeng. Ledwaba’s supporters, referred to as “legends” are arguing that the election may be unconstitutional after Jordaan’s supporters sought to have the names of some of the voting delegates.
Ledwaba’s supporters believe that if a delegate has been accredited to vote, it is not necessary that he or she submit his name, address or telephone number to the office as that may create ground for vote buying and corruption.
Voting delegate Mandla “Speed” Mabena told The Star that vote buying was a reality in the football fraternity. “We can’t give names to the office where the president (Jordaan) is and the president is also contesting. Why do they want to know every person? We should not be available to be coerced. The president cannot preside over his own election,” Mabena said.
The DA and EFF have also thrown their weight behind Ledwaba. Ledwaba cried foul play when she was ordered to hold off the launch of her campaign in March this year as the rules stated that candidates could only campaign once confirmed to be official by the governance committee.
Jordaan is however no stranger to controversy. In 2017 the South African Human Rights Commission wrote to Jordaan, requesting him to take part in a mediation process following allegations of rape against him, reported by former ANC MP Jennifer Ferguson.
“In light of the above, the commission hereby invites you to participate in a mediatory process in an attempt to resolve the matter. This approach is intended to promote understanding, respect for the law and reconciliation between the parties,” the SAHRC said in a letter seen by The Star, addressed to Jordaan by Buang Jones, Gauteng provincial head of the SAHRC.
Ferguson alleged that Jordaan raped her in a Nelson Mandela Bay hotel room 25 years ago. In 2018, she laid a charge of rape against Jordaan at Johannesburg’s Parkview police station.
Jordaan, a former mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, has denied that the incident happened and has insisted that he is innocent. In 2017, he denied Ferguson's offer of mediation between the two, saying it ran the risk of the public perceiving “that there is a cover up away from the glare of public scrutiny”.
On Friday, civil rights movement #NotInMyName, which has been at the forefront of growing calls for Jordaan to resign, said it was pleased by the SAHRC intervention.
“Following our meeting with the South African Human Rights Commission last month, we are pleased that they have sent a letter to Safa president Danny Jordaan demanding answers of his alleged rape of Ms Jennifer Ferguson,” said #NotInMyName secretary general Themba Masango.
“She opened a rape case against him in 2018 but there seems to be coordinated silence from that time until now. All Ms Ferguson wants is for Mr Jordaan to acknowledge what he did to her and we as South Africans deserve to know the truth.”Jordaan was never criminally charged.
Ledwaba and Jordaan could not be reached for comment.