Fall from grace for Safa president

Danny Jordaan, at 73 years old, you find yourself in court, facing a fraud charge of over R1 million as the South African Football Association (Safa) president.

It is a notable fall from grace for someone who stood among the few legendary figures in the anti-apartheid sports struggle through South African Council on Sport (Sacos), the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC) and the South African Soccer Federation.

Allegedly, you used SAFA funds to finance personal image campaigns and address other non-principled issues.

The media, both broadcast and print, are having a field day with this story, turning you—Mr. Port Elizabeth—into a soccer sensation of a different kind. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, you are accused of bypassing comrades and stalwarts who once supported you. High-flying or not, the offside whistle has been blown.

Durban's Rama Reddy, who led the historic football merger in Botswana in 1989 (where I was the only journalist present, with the exiled ANC’s hosting and blessing), and spearheaded by Sam Ramsamy and Krish Naidoo, gave you a golden opportunity back then. Now, the sword has fallen.

Let’s see how the court case and legal proceedings unfold.

MARLAN PADAYACHEE

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media or IOL.

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