The South African Football Association’s (Safa) chief operation officer, Albert Mokoena, has justified a massive payout to the organisation’s president, Molefi Oliphant.
Safa, which is in the red, will pay Irvin Khoza, Danny Jordaan and Oliphant a whopping R7,4-million each after tax for their role in the successful Soccer World Cup 2010 bid.
The massive payment — in dollars — to the trio came as a result of extensive research and recommendations by Safa’s remuneration committee headed by Dr WAA Gouws, who was not available for comment on Monday.
But the announcement of the payments, which was made by Mokoena after Safa’s monthly meeting on Saturday, has been met by an outcry.
The public are demanding to know why Safa and not the South African government is responsible for the payments because the bid was made for the country.
Why such a large sum in dollars? And what did Oliphant do to deserve such a huge payout?
Mokoena stressed that Oliphant is equally deserving of remuneration as Khoza and Jordaan. He was not just part of the successful South African bid, but was also ”a tower of strength” behind the bid campaign.
”He may not have been in the public eye but his work behind the scenes was comparable to the input of Khoza and Jordaan,” said Mokoena.
”In fact he paved the way for the two administrators. He sometimes left before them for their meetings and put many extra hours in that was never made public.
”The president opened doors for Khoza and Jordaan. He was also actively and heavily involved in the lobbying and campaigning behind the scenes. He even signed the guarantee for a successful World Cup in South Africa when we were in Zurich.
”I must stress also that he had to give assurances on issues when pressing questions were asked to overcome any doubts in the campaign.”
Mokoena saw nothing wrong in the payouts.
”Why not R7,4-million? Dr Gouws [did] extensive research and arrived at those figures.”
Mokoena reiterated the issue surrounding the government’s involvement in the 2010 bid.
”Safa won the rights to organise the World Cup and the government gave the guarantees — period. Look, the rights to organise are given to associations but without government support that association would not have been considered fit to host the World Cup.
”So, in my books I have three people to whom I owe money and I made it clear to them that I will pay them as soon as the money was available,” said Mokoena.
On the issue of Safa being in the red, Mokoena admitted that Safa’s books are ”at a deficit”.
He refused to say where the money for the payout is coming from.
”I will not use sponsors’ money but I am certain I will get it.”
Mokoena confirmed that Bafana Bafana will travel to Tunisia for a friendly against that country’s national team on August 18.
He said coach Stuart Baxter wanted an away friendly because Bafana Bafana’s next African Cup of Nations and World Cup 2006 Cup qualifiers will be away games.
Bafana will meet the Democratic Republic of Congo on September 5. — Sapa