The South African Football Association (SAFA) has expelled four suspended National Executive Committee (NEC) members, with vice-president Linda Zwane clarifying that the decision was taken by Congress rather than the disciplinary committee.
Monde Montshiwa, Gladwyn White, Emma Hendricks and Orapeleng Setlhare were initially suspended following altercations during an NEC meeting at SAFA House in Nasrec in March. The quartet later approached the Mahikeng High Court in an urgent bid to overturn their suspensions, but their application was dismissed on the grounds of lacking urgency.
In the aftermath, SAFA moved decisively, with Congress voting to expel the members for taking the matter to court without first exhausting internal dispute resolution mechanisms, a move deemed to be in violation of both SAFA and FIFA statutes.
Zwane explained that the disciplinary process had not yet been concluded when the members sought legal recourse, effectively triggering a separate breach of the association’s rules.
“I think in terms of the members, an item was placed before Congress and Congress had to take a decision whether these members, by taking SAFA to court after they were suspended, violated SAFA statutes,” Zwane said.
“It is very clear that they have not exhausted all their internal avenues, and the Congress therefore resolved that the members must be expelled. So, that’s the decision of the Congress.”
He emphasized that the merits of the initial suspensions were not the focus of Congress’ deliberations, as that matter remained within the jurisdiction of the disciplinary structures. Instead, the decisive issue was the members’ decision to escalate the dispute externally.
“These guys were suspended pending disciplinary action, but whilst that process was ongoing, they decided to go to court, which is against SAFA statutes and FIFA statutes,” Zwane added. “So, I think that is the consequence of the court action.”
The development underscores SAFA’s strict stance on adherence to internal governance processes, reinforcing the principle that football disputes must first be handled within established structures before recourse to civil courts.
