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Safa eThekwini is in such a mess that clubs have decided to take matters into their own hands.
The SAB League (which is the fourth tier in South African football) was supposed to kick off in October, but not a single ball has been kicked.
Safa acting CEO Russell Paul said this week: “Safa eThekwini is the only region out of our 52 that I know of where the league has not started and it is all because of the two structures.”
The frustrated clubs have formed a committee called the SAB League Task Team led by Ulwandle Academy boss Stripes Dlamini, who painted a painful picture of how young players were made to suffer because of the two warring factions.
The two structures emerged when Mazwi Mkhize was elected president, while the other faction re-elected long-serving president Alpha Mchunu in 2013.
After the elections, the Mchunu faction refused to vacate the offices at Hoy Park, forcing the Mkhize-led group to find accommodation at Moses Mabhida Stadium and eventually settled at the historic Curries Fountain Stadium.
“We are very frustrated by all this and our efforts seem to fail to bear any positive results,” said Dlamini.
He said they had held a meeting with Paul, who was accompanied by Safa’s legal affairs head, Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, in November.
“At the meeting, we tabled all our grievances and asked the head office to resolve the matter immediately. We were promised a response within 72 hours and we are still waiting,” he said.
This week, Paul admitted that Dlamini was correct, but said there had been delays and his office was trying to deal with the matter as quickly as possible.
Dlamini said that, since then, they had held two mass meetings with the clubs affiliated to Local Football Associations (LFAs) that form Safa eThekwini, and also staged a march to the Durban City Hall to hand a memorandum over to the city and the leaders of the two regional structures.
“The city and the Curries Fountain group came and received our memorandum, but there was no one from the Hoy Park structure there,” he said.
City Press is in possession of a letter written by Young Cavaliers FC boss, Naydene Kast.
She wrote: “This letter is a very heartening appeal to Safa national and provincial [eThekwini] to give some thought into taking a firm stand in resolving SAB matters in the eThekwini region.
“The SAB season has not kicked off and to this point there are no clear signs that it will kick off soon. We prepare teams of at least 25 players or more expecting a full running league and to be part of the Nedbank Cup. Last season, we were deprived of all the above. Teams have been training and working since July and have played almost a half league worth of friendlies to keep the spirits of young developing players alive. Is it fair for these young footballers to pay the price for power struggles?
“The selfish demeanours of the powers that be are destroying football in this region and it’s been allowed to go on for way too long.
“Also, for the second season, we have received no remuneration for our winnings. We cannot secure sponsorships either, as we cannot answer any questions as to when the league is going to begin, and nor can we show proof of SAB affiliation to secure sponsorship. How are we expected to develop youth effectively?
“I am writing in the interest of development for my club and in the best interest of every club in the region. The time has come for our questions to be answered.
“Can the province continue to run the SAB league and hand over the necessary parties when all political struggles have been solved? We, as clubs, are in it for football and not politics. I ask that this appeal is considered so as not to deprive the young developing footballers of further opportunities. It’s time to put football first. This is written from [an] unbiased point of view, it’s solely in the interest of football. Others have involved themselves in the past with ulterior motives; I write purely for the youth we represent.”
The letter encapsulates all the damage that this impasse is causing, as well as the frustrations of club owners and those interested in football development.
Dlamini said the suggestion of clubs forming a league was dismissed at last week’s meeting as “we felt that it will mean a formation of a third structure, which would complicate matters even more”.
He said they were also disappointed that Safa national did not send a representative from head office, but one from the province.
Paul said this must have been a matter of miscommunication as “we thought a provincial representative would be adequate”.
“We have now requested another urgent meeting with Mr Ngwenya [Kwenzakwakhe], who is the provincial representative in the Safa national executive committee] and Tebogo [Motlanthe],” said Dlamini.
