SAFA election date under threat

The date of the much-anticipated SAFA elections is under threat, with a number of court cases expected to be a stumbling block.

Following the SAFA Governance Committee™s announcement of the eligible candidates for the upcoming elections, SABC Sport understands that the 25 June election date could be under threat if court cases being filed are successful.

SABC Sport has seen the correspondence from SAFA to its members confirming that Presidential candidate and SAFA Vice-President Ria Ledwaba has approached the courts for an urgent interdict of the elections.

SAFA CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, however, has instead warned that those seeking court intervention face the risk of harsher internal sanctioning.

"All these feuds, of course, must be dealt with in line with the football regulations. Whoever goes to court, you will have chosen the wrong route," Motlanthe told SABC Sport.

"But the constitution is clear - the current [SAFA] statutes say, if you refer any football matter to the ordinary courts of law, it's an offence in itself."

The association is believed to have already filed a notion to oppose this matter, which has been brought on behalf of Ledwaba and SAFA Vhembe - the region that nominated her for the presidential position.

Besides this court case, SABC Sport understands that there™s a possibility of close to 20 cases emanating from other regional disputes that could yet be filed at the Western Cape High Court.

"I mean the ANC congresses have been a subject of saying we'll interdict interdicts - how many of them were interdicted [laughs]? So, the law of this country listens to both parties, fortunate enough. So, if anything comes legally, we will deal with it legally," Motlanthe defended.

By Velile Mnyandu