Not In My Name demands resignation of SAFA president following arrest

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan and co-accused appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, for allegations of R1.3 million fraud and theft last week. Picture: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan and co-accused appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, for allegations of R1.3 million fraud and theft last week. Picture: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers

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The Not In My Name International non-profit organisation (NPO) has penned two letters directed to SASOL and Hollywoodbets, calling for the resignation of South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan.

The movement, through its founder Siyabulela Jentile, addressed the letters to Charlotte Mokoena, SASOL’s Vice President of Stakeholder Relationships, and V Roxane, the Relations Director at Hollywoodbets.

Jordaan, along with his co-accused CFO Gronnie Hluyo and Trevor Neethling, is embroiled in allegations of fraud and theft.

The trio, who were granted bail of R20,000 each after appearing in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge last Wednesday, face serious accusations stemming from an investigation by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in Johannesburg.

This investigation revealed allegations of R1.3 million in fraud and theft.

In a letter addressed to the sponsors, Jentile stated: “I am writing to you on behalf of the Not In My Name International NPO following the arrest of Jordaan and his co-accused on charges of fraud, theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud and theft. Without necessarily getting into the details of the case itself, which are otherwise in the public domain, I write against the backdrop of the silence of the SAFA National Executive Committee and SAFA Sponsors.”

Jentile further emphasised the ongoing controversies surrounding SAFA under Jordaan’s leadership, noting that former members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) have been dismissed for lesser infractions.

He expressed concern that despite the serious allegations against Jordaan, he remains in his position as SAFA president.

“Our organisation, echoing the sentiments of millions of South Africans, has called for the resignation of Jordaan from the position of SAFA president amid his criminal charges. We are appealing to you as a sponsor/partner, in the interest of good governance and ethical considerations, to publicly distance yourself from SAFA until Jordaan has resigned and the association has had its affairs in order,” Jentile urged.

At the time of publication, The Star had contacted both SASOL and Hollywoodbets, but there was no response.

According to a spokesperson from the Hawks, the allegations indicate that between 2014 and 2018, Jordaan misused the organisation’s resources for personal gain. This included hiring a private security company for his protection and a public relations firm without the necessary authorisation from the SAFA Board.

The president is also reported to have violated SAFA statutes, resulting in an actual loss of R1.3 million to the organisation.

Mogale, a spokesperson for the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, stated that search and seizure warrants were executed on March 8 at SAFA’s office, where various electronic devices and files were confiscated for further investigation, leading to the arrests.

“In relation to outside travel, Jordaan should avail himself to the court. Neethling and Hluyo should apply to the court to travel outside South Africa as the need arises and not change their verified addresses,” Mogale added.

The case has been postponed to December 5 for docket disclosure.

The Star

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