Inside SOS’ decision to back Sandile Zungu as SAFA presidential candidate

Initially SOS had four presidential candidates, which included Zungu, former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, Kaizer Chiefs Marketing Director Jessica Motaung, and expelled SAFA NEC member Gladwyn White.

Speaking shortly after the launch of Zungu’s campaign for the SAFA elections in Johannesburg yesterday, Riet, also a SAFA National Executive Committee (NEC) member, revealed that the AmaZulu owner had ticked all the boxes. 

"When this idea was hashed I think two years ago, we were just a few regions and a few NEC members that were not happy with how things are done. We started having our own meetings later we were joined by other regions and when the stage came we started to envision a SAFA, how it should look and we made documents about that,” Riet said. 

“One day we will share those documents about the envision but most of it is already in the speeches that the candidate has done, that is the vision that we had for SAFA as regions then. 

“Then we come to the item of what type of leader can make that vision possible. Now regions nominated I think four leaders by then, I think you guys saw the message that there's four leaders that are vying for the presidency and we had one on ones with them and they all reflected and saw a vision with what we are trying to do but at the end we had to have one leader from the four leaders. 

“Like you saw today, Ntate Lucas was here, he was a candidate for us, Ntate White was here, so we had to agree and say let us put all our forces behind one leader."

READ: Zungu condemns weaponization of SAFA Constitution amid alleged threats to regions

Also present at this launch was SAFA-Vice President Bennet Bailey, who is also the President of SAFA Cape Town. 

Bailey had also raised his hand to challenge for the elections, but Riet says he’s now joined forces behind Zungu’s campaign. 

SAFA regions from eight provinces, except Mpumalanga were also in attendance, but the incumbent, Danny Jordaan, still believed to have control of a large share of the 52 regions. 

Riet, who is also the Chairperson of SAFA Northern Cape, complained about the intimidation tactics that are being applied against the regions that are backing their campaign.

"Actually, to be honest it's in the majority of people that are not happy with how SAFA is run inside SAFA itself, not even just that, also amongst other stuff,” he explained. 

“So, where we live is we live in a world where we are victimised for standing up and saying when things are wrong but when you look where we come from and the number of regions that are not happy but are saying we support what you are doing but we can't do this like you are doing it.

“It's actually overwhelming and what we can see if you look at the last congress, the SAFA leaders wanted to change the constitution to favour their candidate and the regions said no.

“It's the first time that the SAFA congress was actually won by another team that is saying that no, we know there's problems with our constitution but we're not gonna allow you to fiddle with the process. 

“That has actually rattled a lot of people, so it's actually there when people actually started saying that but these people are not as few as we thought."