Following a well-managed 2023 AFCON, CAF isn’t resting on its laurels. Patrice Motsepe and his teams are closely monitoring the state of African football. Their surveillance leads them to South Africa, where the situation of the football federation draws attention.
The Hawks initiated an operation at the SAFA headquarters, sparking interest from CAF and casting doubt on the integrity of South African football. CAF demands a report from SAFA ensuring compliance with the rules, while the Hawks investigate allegations that the SAFA president used organization resources for personal gain, causing outrage from SAFA.*
CAF “concerned” about the Hawks’ raid
The Hawks conducted a major operation at the South African Football Association (SAFA) headquarters. This action has drawn the attention of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to recent events in South Africa, where the Football Federation premises were inspected by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks. This intervention raises questions about the integrity and reputation of football in the country.
In a statement released in recent hours, CAF demanded a detailed report from SAFA ensuring that neither the organization nor its president, Dr. Danny Jordaan, violated the rules established by world football authorities. Concurrently, the African football governing body specifically requested any other relevant information that the association and its president deem useful to share.
The document also emphasizes that although the allegations from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation are serious, SAFA and Dr. Danny Jordaan are presumed innocent in accordance with international legal principles and jurisprudence. This presumption of innocence remains until a competent judicial body decides otherwise.
Danny Jordaan under scrutiny from the Hawks and CAF
According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, as reported by several media outlets, this raid follows allegations suggesting that from 2014 to 2018, SAFA President Danny Jordaan used organization resources for personal gain. This includes hiring a private security company for personal protection and a public relations firm without SAFA board approval. Consequently, the president would have violated SAFA statutes, causing the organization an actual loss of 1.3 million rands, according to the colonel. In a statement released on the day of the operation, SAFA asserts that the Hawks are investigating allegations of fraud and theft totaling 1.3 million rands. SAFA acknowledges awareness of this amount and is confident that it pertains to services rendered for which legitimate contracts can be established.
SAFA expresses indignation at this action, stating that the search was illegal, malicious, and did not proceed in accordance with the terms of the warrant granted. According to some media sources, the Hawks seized a laptop, external hard drives, a USB drive, and other documents during this operation.
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