South African Football Association Regional Leaders Receive Death Threats Ahead of National Elective Congress

South African Football Association Regional Leaders Receive Death Threats Ahead of National Elective Congress

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:05 PM
  • Ria Ledwaba, Solly Mohlabeng and Danny Jordaan are all contesting the elections to be named the new president
  • The South African Football Association's National Elective Congress will take place on Saturday, June 25
  • South African Football Association regional leaders have confirmed that they received death threats to vote a certain way

The race for the South African Football Association Presidency has seen its fair share of drama but the matter has escalated to a whole new level new.

Current President Danny Jordaan, Vice President Ria Ledwaba and SAFA Tshwane regional Chairperson Solly Mohlabeng are all contesting the presidency.

Ria Ledwaba, Solly Mohlabeng, Danny Jordaan, SAFA, Souh African Football Association, Soccer, Sport, President, Elections, Congress
Ria Ledwaba, Solly Mohlabeng and Danny Jordaan are all contesting the elections to be named the president of the South African Football Association. Image: Oupa Bopape/ @MothibaThabiso8/ Lee Warren
Source: Getty Images

The election of a new president will take place on Saturday, June 25, at SAFA’s National Elective Congress. Jordaan has been president of the association since 2013.

Some of SAFA’s regional leaders, who will vote for the new president, have now claimed that they have been receiving death threats, FarPost reported.

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Two regional leaders from Limpopo told police that they were threatened telephonically to either vote for a particular candidate or they will be killed.

SAFA confirmed that they were aware of the death threats and that a case had been opened with the police.”

“We have strengthened the security for obvious reasons as two of the members got death threats. We are not taking them lightly and have opened cases with the police,” SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said.
“As the association, we will also open a case because we don’t know what might happen next and we have a duty to protect our members,” he added.

The build-up to the elections has seen many attempts to get it postponed.

Business Live reported that the high court in Pretoria dismissed an attempt on Thursday to get the elections postponed. This was the third such attempt.

The elective congress gets underway at 10am on Saturday.

Bafana Bafana great Lucas Radebe worries about the national football team, and calls for a SAFA leadership change

Lucas Radebe has given his opinion on the state of the South African Football Association amid an intense race for the presidency of the organisation.

The former Bafana Bafana defender and captain has called for a change in the leadership of SAFA so that the troubled organisation can right itself again.

Incumbent president Danny Jordaan is being challenged by his deputy in the form of Ria Ledwaba, with the showdown set for the next elective congress.

Banyana legend Portia Modise doesn't mince words as she blasts SAFA president Danny Jordaan and backs Ria Ledwaba

With the South African Football Association elective congress coming up, former senior national women's team captain and midfielder Portia Modise is demanding a change up top.

As reported by Sports Brief, SAFA vice-president Ria Ledwaba, Nomsa Mahlangu and Ngoako "Solly" Mohlabeng are in the running for the presidency of the organisation, with incumbent Danny Jordaan in their sights.

The Banyana Banyana legend has clearly picked a side, and Jordaan is not on hers.

Authors
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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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South AfricaSouth Africa Football Association (SAFA)