The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, has come to the rescue of the South African Football Association (SAFA) by loaning them R5 million rand to ensure that they pay the employees December salaries.
This follows reports of financial difficulties and the association’s inability to also pay players their bonuses ahead of the festive season.
Minister Gayton McKenzie said the intervention is to offer some reprieve to staff members.
“We cannot allow players to go into this festive season without payment, especially since they have done the country proud.
The men’s team recently qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, and we need them to focus on preparing for this challenge, as well as making sure we get to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Banyana Banyana have also led the way, winning the African Women’s Championship in 2022, and going deep at the FIFA World Cup last year,” said McKenzie.
The minister highlighted that SAFA accepted the advance, however, with some conditions.
“The advance will be subtracted from the grant paid in the 2025 financial year.
This comes with the condition that SAFA’s leadership would need to provide reasons for why their financial affairs are so troubled, together with a viable turnaround plan to avoid such a situation in future,” explained the Minister.
The organisation is currently grappling with financial constraints at a time when its President Danny Jordaan faces fraud allegations to the tune of R1.3 million, with co-accused Chief Financial Officer Gronie Hluyo and Grit Communications director, Trevor Neethling.
The commercial crimes court in Palm Ridge postponed the matter to 7 February 2025.
