SAFA Election: Former CEO questions the rules ahead of Jordaan vs Zungu vote

The former SAFA CEO Mumble believes the problem goes deeper than the two candidates competing for the presidency.

He argues that the SAFA Constitution itself needs a complete overhaul to create a fairer and more balanced governance structure.

WHY DOES DENIS MUMBLE WANT THE SAFA CONSTITUTION CHANGED?

Mumble believes the current Constitution concentrates too much power in one part of the organisation and does not provide the proper balance of power.

“My opinion, no SAFA election, in my view, can be fair unless you change the SAFA Constitution,” Mumble said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

“The Constitution is much too toxic to run a fair election.” He also argued that the organisation needs a broader governance overhaul.

“The organisation needs a complete overhaul, as far as I’m concerned, from a governance standpoint,” he said.

“The Constitution does not comply with the FIFA standard.”

Mumble also raised concerns about the role of SAFA’s standing committees, saying their responsibilities are not clearly defined in the statutes.

One example he highlighted was the Governance Committee, which is supposed to advise SAFA on governance matters. Mumble questioned whether the committee’s role has effectively become focused mainly on running elections.

Also read: Danny Jordaan fraud case postponed again as legal battle drags on

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

Mumble believes the current structure makes it difficult for any SAFA presidential election to be completely fair.

He pointed to the fact that incumbents can start building support well before the national election, particularly through the local and regional structures.

That gives a sitting president a significant advantage over a challenger who does not have the same amount of time or influence.

Mumble believes the answer is a fundamental restructuring of the organisation.

“I think we need to sit down at some point and really redesign the entire SAFA governance structure by first starting with redesigning that Constitution,” he said.

For Mumble, the issue is therefore bigger than whether Jordaan or Zungu wins on Saturday.

He believes South African football needs structural reform that promotes better governance and creates a more balanced distribution of power.

DO YOU AGREE WITH MUMBLE?

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