28 October 2020 – Ms Elizabeth de Koker was on Wednesday, 28 October 2020 introduced as the new SAFA NEC member by SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan.
Ms De Koker is the President of Thabo Mofutsanyana Region in the Free State. She takes over the position left vacant by Mr Mzwandile Maforvane who took up full-time employment with the association as Head of Events.
Introducing Ms De Koker, Dr Jordaan said her elevation increases the number of women in leadership positions within football, something SAFA is taking a lead on.
“We already have a huge number of women representatives within our structures and Ms De Koker’s elevation as the latest NEC member speaks of our blueprint to drive the women empowerment agenda,” said Dr Jordaan
The SAFA President said Ms De Koker was a no-nonsense woman; a shrewd and successful businesswoman in her own right and would definitely add value within the NEC.
Ms De Koker said she was excited to be part of the SAFA NEC and would continue to advocate for women’s empowerment, among other issues. She said she was not coming in to reinvent the wheel but consolidate the gains made so far within the football setup.
Meanwhile, Dr Jordaan said he welcomes the arrest of suspects in the murder case of former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa. The Bafana Bafana captain was gunned down on 26 October 2014, and his murderers have been on the run ever since.
“I want to commend the investigation team and after six painful years of seemingly little or no progress, it would appear that finally, the Meyiwa family, the football community and the nation at large will get to know the truth behind Senzo’s murder and thus find closure,’’ he said.