SAFA President Danny Jordaan released on R20,000 bail
SAFA president Danny Jordaan, who faces fraud charges, has been granted bail and permitted to retain his passport to travel for Bafana Bafana matches.
Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), has been released on bail set at R20,000.
Jordaan appeared alongside his two co-accused in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 13 November, for alleged fraud and theft worth R1.3 million.
SAFA PRESIDENT DANNY JORDAAN GRANTED BAIL
Earlier on Wednesday, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said warrants had been issued for the arrest of Jordaan, SAFA chief financial officer (CFO) Gronie Hluyo and 46-year-old businessman Trevor Neethling following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation – based in Johannesburg – into allegations of fraud and theft.
Mogale said the allegations are that between 2014 and 2018, Jordaan used the organisation’s resources for personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his protection and a Public Relations company without authorisation from the SAFA board.
“The Serious Commercial Crime Investigation charged with probing the allegations executed search seizure warrants, 8 March 2024 at the South African Football Association’s office where an assortment of electronic gadgets and files were seized for further investigation, thus leading to the arrest,” Mogale explained.
In his affidavit, Jordaan said he renders his services voluntarily to SAFA, with an honorarium payment between R0 – R100 000 annually depending on SAFA’s performance.
His two co-accused were also granted R20 000 bail and they are all expected to return to court on 5 December.
All three intend to plead not guilty as they are of the opinion that the case against them is an abuse of court processes.
DA WELCOMES ARREST
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the arrest of the former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor.
DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts, and Culture Joe McGluwa said Jordaan and SAFA CFO Gronie Hluyo had treated the association’s finances as their personal cheque books, a gross abuse of trust and responsibility.
McGluwa said these new allegations, alongside previous accusations of misconduct, underscore the deep-rooted issues within SAFA’s leadership, raising serious concerns about governance and accountability within the organisation.
“This arrest underscores the gravity of the issues we have continuously highlighted, including a lack of accountability and transparency at the highest levels of SAFA’s management.
“We believe that Jordaan and Hluyo’s actions have damaged the integrity of SAFA and eroded public trust in South African football. Their alleged misconduct warrants immediate action to restore confidence in SAFA’s leadership. The DA calls for their removal to ensure that SAFA can begin rebuilding itself on a transparency and ethical management foundation,” McGluwa added.
A FORMER ANC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
According to the Presidency, Jordaan – who served as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay from May 2015 until August 2016 – became a member of the United Democratic Front and the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1970s.
His political career progressed remarkably till 1990, when he was elected chairperson of the ANC branch in Port Elizabeth. After the first fully inclusive South African elections in 1994, Jordaan became a member of Parliament for the ANC. He held this position until 1997.