The South African Football Association (Safa) was on Saturday embroiled in a dangerous confrontation with South Africa Football — its satellite wing delegated to handle the financial affairs of the country’s international teams.
Much to the growing chagrin of Safa, the new organisation has been perceived as usurping the functions and responsibilities of the parent body itself — culminating in a curt, no-holds-barred rebuke by Safa president Molefi Oliphant of the manner in which South African Football acting chief executive Sbu Mngadi arranged a proposed tour of a South Africa team to play Colombia in South America.
”I would remind you that in terms of article 8.4 of our constitution,” wrote Oliphant, ”the national association is responsible for initiating, negotiating and arranging, as well as for the finance and control of tours and matches to and from South Africa, and is further responsible in terms of clause 9.11 for sanctioning such matters.
”You are further reminded that in terms of a decision of the national executive, all football matters remain vested in the office of the chief executive of the national association.
”It has come to my notice that you have initiated and negotiated certain games to be played by the association’s national teams, without such games having been sanctioned by the national association through its executive.
The procedure has always been that ”the association’s chief executive would be required to present a formal invitation and/or contract duly accompanied by an approved budget which would then either be authorised or declined by the national executive, and if authorised, then implemented”, wrote Oliphant.
”This policy would seem not to have been followed by you specifically in regard to a purported tour by one of the association’s national teams to Colombia. Accordingly, you are advised that the proposed Colombian match is not in compliance with the association’s procedure, and is therefore not sanctioned or approved.”
Mngadi declined to comment on Oliphant’s letter, saying it constituted private correspondence between himself and the Safa president — and protocol would not be observed by airing the issue in the media.
”It is regrettable such a confidential matter letter has landed up in the media,” said Safa communications and media manager Sifiso Cele in the absence of communications manager Morio Sanyane, who is in the Congo with Bafana Bafana.
Whether aired in the media or not, it is clear that Safa has thrown down the gauntlet to South African Football, informing its subsidiary in no uncertain terms that it is growing too big for its boots. — Sapa