South African Football Association (Safa) President, Danny Jordaan, is set to file a formal application to have his case struck off the court roll as the legal battle over fraud allegations continues. Jordaan, along with Safa’s Chief Financial Officer, Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling, appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge on Thursday. The trio faces accusations of fraud, allegedly misusing R1.3 million from the association’s funds for personal gain. Despite the serious nature of the charges, Jordaan appeared notably calm in court, even receiving a request from the Magistrate to stop chewing gum during proceedings.
The case has now been postponed to December 10, when two significant applications will be heard. The first application, filed by the state, alleges a conflict of interest with Jordaan’s legal representative, Advocate Norman Arendse. The state claims that Arendse is conflicted due to his ongoing legal work for Safa, raising concerns about his impartiality in representing Jordaan. If the court upholds the conflict of interest claim, Jordaan may be required to seek a new lawyer. The second application, brought by the accused, argues that the case has been unduly delayed, citing Section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act, which allows the court to investigate and address unreasonable delays in criminal proceedings.
Jordaan’s legal team had attempted to delay his arrest and the ensuing investigation in November by seeking an interdict in the Gauteng High Court. In their application, they argued that the search-and-seizure warrants that allowed the Hawks to raid Safa’s offices were unlawful. If the warrants were declared invalid, they contended, all the evidence obtained would be inadmissible. However, Jordaan’s attempt to interdict the arrest was unsuccessful due to an issue with the case number, and the matter was not listed on the court roll when it was scheduled for a hearing last month, indicating procedural issues. As of now, it is unclear if the matter has been refiled or when it will be heard.
The delays in the case have raised concerns about the efficiency of the judicial process. Arendse argued that pursuing the application for delay would inevitably prolong the criminal proceedings, potentially wasting judicial resources. He expressed that continuing to postpone the case without knowing the outcome of the interdict application would not be practical. On the other hand, the state has objected to the delay application, urging that the case proceed as scheduled and that the court address the issues expeditiously.
The fraud allegations against Jordaan span from 2014 to 2018, during which he is accused of using Safa’s resources for personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and engaging a public relations company without proper authorization from the Safa board. These charges have prompted political calls for Jordaan’s removal as Safa President. The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have both publicly urged for his resignation. Despite the mounting pressure, Safa’s Vice-President, Bennet Bailey, recently stated that Jordaan has no intention of stepping down from his position, reaffirming his leadership at the football association.
As the case progresses, the implications for both Jordaan’s career and the future of Safa continue to unfold. With the case resuming on December 10, all eyes will be on the next steps in the legal process. Should the court accept the applications for delays or dismiss them, it will set the stage for how the fraud charges are addressed in the coming months. For now, Jordaan and his co-accused remain on R20,000 bail, while the allegations continue to cast a shadow over their leadership and the integrity of the football association.
