Danny Jordaan’s duties as Safa boss are being impaired by his ongoing court case, says lawyer

Safa president Danny Jordaan at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on 13 November 2024. His lawyer is arguing for his bail conditions to be relaxed. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images)

By Yanga Sibembe

7 Feb 2025

Danny Jordaan should have his bail conditions relaxed because they are affecting his performance as South African Football Association president, his lawyer argues.

South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan was back at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 7 February 2025, facing fraud charges for allegedly squandering the organisation’s financial resources for his own benefit.

Jordaan’s legal representative, Norman Arendse, said the embattled soccer executive was struggling to perform his duties fully because of the strict conditions of his bail.

The 73-year-old administrator was arrested in November 2024 alongside Safa’s chief of finance, Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling. The trio are out on bail of R20,000 each, and they have each vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Conditional travel

Danny Jordaan in court Safa president Danny Jordaan at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on 13 November 2024. His lawyer is arguing for his bail conditions to be relaxed. (Photo: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images)

Although Hluyo and Neethling’s passports were confiscated and they are barred from travelling outside South Africa, Jordaan is allowed to leave the country. The only condition is that he has to provide the investigating officer with a written itinerary at least 72 hours before departure when his work takes him out of the country.

Arendse said Jordaan was unable to fulfil his duties to the fullest extent as a result of this condition and asked the court to have it relaxed. The Safa boss’s legal representative said his client had a number of responsibilities that required him to travel out of the country, including being a “special adviser” to Confederation of African Football (Caf) president, Patrice Motsepe.

“He has committed to [abiding by his stipulated bail conditions]. He has done it several times. He remains a special adviser to the president of Caf and the executive. Sometimes arrangements have to be made at short notice,” Arendse said in court.

“We don’t think that there’s any prejudice from this condition being relaxed or removed. He has paid his bail and remains on bail,” he added.

However, magistrate Sheron Soko-Rantao told Arendse he will have to bring a formal application, to be heard by a different magistrate, if he seeks to alter the conditions that were set when Jordaan was granted bail in November.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed Soko-Rantao’s stance on relaxing Jordaan’s basil condition, NPA Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane told journalists at the East Rand court.

“You would recall that a formal bail application sat before court and the court made a ruling. The court which is seized by this matter currently was not part of the bail application process. Hence this court indicated that if the accused wants to have certain conditions of his bail altered, then he must bring a formal application,” Mjonondwane stated.

“As the State we are opposed to that [alteration of bail conditions] because the bail application court dealt with all the evidence that was presented in court and came to what we believe is a just decision. It was able to set bail conditions which are suitable for both the State and the defence,” Mjonondwane added.

Arendse said his clients, Hluyo and Jordaan, have taken up the option to have Soko-Rantao’s ruling from December reviewed at the High Court. In December, they brought an application seeking to have the case struck off the roll completely. The magistrate dismissed it and indicated there was enough meat for the case to proceed.

“We respectfully disagree with your ruling on 10 December 2024 and we’ve filed an application to review that decision… That will inevitably result in a delay,” Arendse said.

The case has been postponed to 15 August 2025, pending the ventilation of all outstanding matters. This includes the defence’s review of Soko-Rantao’s dismissal of their application. If resolutions are forthcoming in time, it might be moved to an earlier date.

Mounting pressure

In December Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie’s department came to Safa’s rescue, offering it a R5-million advance on its annual government grant. The money works out to 70% of the money Safa receives from the government.

McKenzie said the advance was not a favour to Safa’s embattled executive, but rather in consideration of Safa employees, who would suffer during the festive season as a direct result of Safa’s financial woes.

At the time, Safa had allegedly failed to pay match fees for both the men’s and women’s national teams since September 2024. McKenzie said his department could not “allow players to go into this festive season without payment, especially since they have done the country proud”.

At the end of January 2025 at Safa’s national executive committee meeting, some members expressed their disappointment that Jordaan was still at the helm and suggested that he step down.

However, Jordaan has shown no sign of vacating his seat. He still enjoys support from the bulk of Safa’s executive members.

“He must not step aside. If he steps aside, his duty is going to be jeopardised. Because as you can see now, we have to go to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Africa Cup of Nations. With him there, it boosts the morale of the players and also us as supporters,” super fan Joy “Mama Joy” Chauke told the media today.

Chauke has been a staunch supporter of Jordaan throughout the legal process, hardly missing a court appearance. DM

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