Breaking: SAFA Hawks raid challenge removed from roll after court no show

In a bizarre twist, the applicant, SAFA, did not show up at the High Court in Johannesburg as was scheduled, and Acting Judge CB Bhoola was left with no choice but to remove it. 

It's a significant blow to the football association's president Danny Jordaan – who just this week was appointed to the FIFA Competitions Committee - and CFO Gronnie Hluyo, who are in the middle of a corruption and conspiracy to commit fraud case at the Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge, and the expectation was that the High Court's ruling - where SAFA had claimed that the raid was unlawful - would have an impact on the proceedings there. 

SAFA had waited for almost a year to have the matter scheduled at the backlogged High Court since the duo's arrest last November along with Grit Communications boss Trevor Neethling, and will now have to reapply for it to be heard and provide reasons for their no show. 

It may also come as an own goal by SAFA against the NPA, who have consistently stated that the accused and their legal teams are the ones causing the delays in going to trial for the corruption case. 

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They have also insisted that they have a watertight case against Jordaan and company regardless of what happens at the High Court.

The Hawks stormed the SAFA offices on March 8 last year and collected evidence that led to the trio being arrested on November 13. 

They're accused of using the association's money to get a PR company to polish Jordaan's image after the rape allegations in 2018, and hiring private security for the ex 2010 FIFA World Cup boss.