18 May 2020 – The South African Football Association’s 9 Provincial Chairpersons have all roundly blasted former CEO Dennis Mumble and reaffirmed total support for Dr Danny Jordaan’s leadership and his Executive.
The 9 Provincial chairpersons and NEC members Jack Maluleke (Limpopo), Gladwyn White (NEC member (Northern Cape), Litheko Marago (Mpumalanga), Kwenza Ngwenya (KZN), David Moloantoa (North West), Mzimkhulu Fina (Eastern Cape), Letima Mogorosi (Free State), Gerald Don (Western Cape) and Gauteng vice-chair Pius Nqandela all took a dig at Mumble’s report, labelling it as hogwash, full of contradictions and that it should be dismissed by SAFA’s highest decision-making body, the NEC.
The 9 said contrary to the report’s intentions of dividing the Association, SAFA membership were firmly united and fully behind Dr Jordaan’s astute leadership.
“If the intention was to sow seeds of division, it has actually galvanised and united the SAFA membership more than before,” said White.
Ngwenya said SAFA’s membership was derived from the LFAs, SAFA Affiliates, SAFA Regions and SAFA Provincial structures; not media platforms.
“Those who run to the media, with their known sponsors, will always fail and history has proven that,” said Ngwenya.
Northern Cape NEC member, White said while he was tempted to dismiss and not even comment on Mumble’s report, he said the former CEO was one individual who had failed to give the Association an Exit Report and who during his tenure had always provided glowing reports for SAFA and its leadership.
“So only gullible people will believe what he wrote. In other words, is he telling us that he misled us during all these years when he gave the Association and its leadership glowing reports,” said White, adding Mumble was a bitter man. “He and his known handlers will fail again, watch this space.”
“Dr Jordaan has our unqualified support, this is one great leader who has suffered malicious and unjust attacks but football structures know his celebrated abilities. Mumble and his people thought they were unleashing a nuclear bomb but this is laughable to say the least. They will be disappointed again.”
White said the SAFA NEC will congregate in coming days and firmly deal with all these matters once and for all.
“We remain steadfast and not bothered by these reports of few former employees who are bitter and disillusioned. This is an orchestrated campaign that is bound to fail. A lot of financial resources has been poured into this campaign but a united SAFA will defeat it,” added White.
KZN’s Ngwenya said the biggest Province was fully behind Dr Jordaan and his shrewd leadership.
“As chair of the Province, I have spoken to all of my Regions and they are united more than ever behind Dr Jordaan.
“Mumble is a bitter man but we know the third force bankrolling him and I can tell you this will be another failed project. We would like to send a strong warning that despite the media noise from known publications, the power is with the members not hired guns,” said Ngwenya adding that SAFA leadership remains unmoved.
Gerald Don (Western Cape chair) said for Dennis Mumble to come up with this document, 2 years after he left the organisation was nonsensical.
Don said the SAFA leadership was aware the former CEO was not working alone but the membership was resolute in supporting its leadership.
He again said Mumble’s jumbled report had made SAFA to close ranks more than ever.
“He did a terrible job and his handlers must be very disappointed. In any case, football is not run by the media but membership,” said Don.
Jack Maluleke, Limpopo chair said the sequence of reports is a campaign meant to tarnish and divide SAFA but that the opposite was true now as Provinces were fully behind Dr Jordaan’s shrewd leadership.
“These so-called dossiers are ill-conceived and will definitely backfire. We know his handlers and sponsors; they have been holding clandestine meetings and we are aware of it. This is done by frustrated and bitter individuals,” added Maluleke.
North West chair David Moloantoa said Mumble had been with SAFA for over 20 years and why didn’t he raise the red flag if something was amiss? This raises a lot of questions about his ulterior motive.
“He is sponsored to besmirch the name of the Association but we have seen through him and his handlers will be disappointed. North West believes in the leadership of Dr Jordaan and to those injuring his good name, this is another futile exercise.
“North West’s 4 Regions are firmly behind Dr Jordaan and his leadership. He is one of the best leaders this country has ever had,” said Moloantoa.
Litheko Marago of Mpumalanga said all of the Province’s Regions were fully behind Dr Jordaan.
“We are asking ourselves, why now, why coming out after 2 years? This is an orchestrated campaign and we take all what Mumble said as utter rubbish. He is serving his masters and that doesn’t bother us as we are least worried,” said Marago.
Pius Nqandela said Mumble’s allegations were wishy washy.
“He painted a glossy picture during his tenure and he now wants us to believe his story. We are not kids,” said Nqandela.
Mzimkhulu Fina said Mumble’s document was self-contradictory.
“He is now denying what he told us during different Congresses, so why should we take him seriously? We know that he is captured and also who captured him.
“One thing we must tell him and the public is that all of Eastern Cape’s 8 Regions have one leader and that is Dr Jordaan,” said Fina.
Letima Mogorosi, chair of Free State said things like Mumble’s so called dossier had done ‘no damage and will never divide us.’
“How do you work for an organisation for 20 years and then come back two years after leaving it to speak ill about it and its leadership? SAFA and its leadership have one leader and that is Dr Jordaan,” said Mogorosi.