South African politicians split over Jordaan-Zungu Safa vote
MIDRAND — South African politicians have split sharply ahead of Saturday’s South African Football Association elective congress, where incumbent Danny Jordaa...
MIDRAND — South African politicians have split sharply ahead of Saturday’s South African Football Association elective congress, where incumbent Danny Jordaan faces AmaZulu owner Sandile Zungu for the presidency.
The vote at Vodacom World comes after a week of mounting tension around the contest. More than 300 delegates are expected to cast ballots, and fresh claims of fraud, vote-buying and forged signatures have added pressure to an already fraught race.
Party voices enter the Safa race
Andile Lungisa, a member of the ANC national executive committee since December 2022, has come out firmly for Jordaan. In a post on X, he rejected the idea of Zungu taking over what he called “their organisation”.
“We have been part of Safa structures. We will never allow newcomers to take over our organisation. Our president is Danny Jordaan and he will be elected on Saturday,” Lungisa said.
He also urged Zungu to stay focused on AmaZulu FC. “Zungu must focus on building AmaZulu FC to be a formidable team. We support Danny and we have been part of Safa development structures without fail.”
That backing stands in clear contrast to Vuyo Zungula, leader of the African Transformation Movement, who says Safa needs new leadership. He has backed Zungu to take over at Safa House.
Fraud claims hang over the congress
The political interventions land as the congress itself faces fresh accusations. A Safa NEC official told Sowetan that “just this week, there was an official caught red-handed with R100,000 in cash, which was supposed to influence one region.” The official asked not to be named because a police case was being filed.
There were also claims of forged signatures from a regional congress in the Sarah Baartman region in the Northern Cape, along with late attempts to alter the delegation from the Amajuba region in KwaZulu-Natal. “All that failed, and the delegates are coming to congress,” the official said.
There was one rare note of calm. NEC members confirmed they received honoraria payments last week, with more than R150 000 deposited into their accounts for the first time in two years.
The stakes remain high. Jordaan has led Safa for nearly 13 years and is seeking another term, while Zungu is trying to turn regional support — especially in KwaZulu-Natal — into enough votes to unseat him. As one camp talks continuity and the other pushes change, the result will be decided inside the room on Saturday. “Our president is Danny Jordaan and he will be elected on Saturday,” Lungisa said.
