Safa says its vice-president Mwelo Nonkonyana has been suspended because of remarks he made about Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund. (AFP)
The South Africa Football Association (Safa) confirmed on Friday that vice-president Mwelo Nonkonyana had been suspended because of public remarks he made about Gordon Igesund's future as Bafana Bafana coach.
Nonkonyana was reported as saying last week that Bafana Bafana had to perform at Chan 2014. "They must win that tournament. At worst, they must be in the final," Nonkonyana had said.
"As a former owner of a club, I cannot hire a coach if that coach cannot deliver. The coach must deliver what ourselves as owners of the club, supporters of the club and community want, and that is to win.
"Clearly Chan 2014 must be the start of the brighter future for Bafana Bafana. It's either the coach will come to us and do an honourable thing and say thanks I played my part, I failed and I think it's time to go home, before being asked by us."
Safa said in a statement that its emergency committee met on Wednesday to consider Nonkonyana's remarks.
According to the statement, following a lengthy discussion, the committee found there was prima facie evidence Nonkonyana may have violated the policies of the association and that he had a case to answer.
Given the serious nature of the matter, the committee felt it was necessary to immediately suspend Nonkonyana from his duties as Safa vice-president and any other representative role he may be occupying, or to which he was deployed by the association, pending a disciplinary inquiry.
Decision
​The committee called on the Safa national executive committee (NEC) to ratify the decision.
The NEC overwhelmingly agreed. Safa has consequently withdrawn Nonkonyana's appointment as a director of the board of the 2013 Afcon/2014 Chan local organising committee (LOC) and has proposed the appointment of a new chairperson of the LOC board.
"As the matter involves a senior member of the Safa NEC, it was decided to appoint an independent person or body to conduct the inquiry, and to do so as soon as possible," the statement read.
"It is regrettable that the matter has now been escalated to a debate in the public domain as it could prejudice the conduct of the disciplinary process.
"The association therefore appeals to the media and the general public to respect the rights and privacy of the accused and to allow the process to be concluded without exchanging the merits or demerits of the case in the public domain at this stage." – Sapa