On the one side is the George Municipality and on the other is the South Africa Football Associatoin (Safa), the George Local Football Association (Geolfa) and the ANC Youth League.
Safa, Geolfa and the ANC Youth League have each issued a tersely worded statement distancing themselves from the municipality’s accusations, published in the George Herald last week, that they organised a boycott of the event.
Safa has taken the George Herald to task saying the headline 'Safa politics 1, George soccer 0' created "some sort of sensationalism that Safa does not have its house in order. In fact, it was an array of dis-organisation from your very own George Municipality".
Safa alleges the article was published in haste, without further investigation being done and is in fact a one sided story - the story of the George Municipality.
End of discussion
Wafeekah Begg, Safa project manager: legal and compliance, said in a statement sent to the George Herald this Tuesday that the municipality’s so-called decision to discontinue talks with Safa Eden about future football events is not in any way related to the recent event.
Elvis Shisana, the president of Eden Safa, said the break in relations with the George Municipality does not come as a surprise. "We saw this coming. The recent snubbing of Safa regarding the renaming of the FNB Lawaaikamp Stadium to Molefi Oliphant, as well as the fact that the municipality contacts Safa affiliates directly, have led to a secession of talks."
No support
Geolfa’s secretary, Bathini Malobola, said Geolfa has never been supported by the municipality. "It is only this year through the Mayor’s Cup that the municipality supported Geolfa when DA Cllr Isaysa Stemela became Geolfa chairperson. Geollfa has not signed or endorsed the George Sport Policy. It is based on an apartheid group areas system."
Safa also says the allegation by Kidron Kaboni, the George Municipality’s senior sport officer, that he only realised the extent of the problem on Saturday morning when the match officials could not be located and their phones were switched off, is completely untrue. "No request was made for match officials in the first place."
Safa approval
Geolfa’s Malobola quotes their constitution which states that tournaments involving more than two local or national teams from other national associations may not take place without the written approval of Geolfa and no club affiliated to Geolfa or player registered with such a club may participate in such a tournament without the written consent of Geolfa.
"After looking at the matter the Geolfa executive decided not to allow its own members to take part in the George Sports Academy/George Municipality event.
The event organisers undermined Geolfa as the organised football body by inviting Geolfa clubs to participate without prior agreement with Geolfa. It is Geolfa that must ask and seek approval from Safa Eden, not the George Municipality. No detailed plan and regulations were given to Geolfa by the clubs concerned or the George Municipality.
The invitation to participate was late and not accompanied by a list of team players who were planning to take part in the tournament. Players would have been in breach of their own constitution."
Late notification
Shishana said Safa only received the notification of the friendly on the Friday afternoon before the Saturday match.
"This is completely unacceptable as little can be done to accommodate the parties involved when the necessary steps have not been followed." According to the Geolfa executive, they only heard of the pending match after members of the Young Blues and Diego Masters, who were invited as a curtain raiser, called them on Friday 11 July.
A general meeting was arranged. "We contacted Elvis Shishana telephonically and he advised us to look at the Geolfa constitution and take it from there."
Shishana said Safa Eden did not make any undertaking at the Friday meeting to participate in the planned proceedings, nor did he instruct Geolfa to boycott the event.
"My involvement in the Friday night meeting the George Municipality’s statement makes reference to is completely false and unfounded. I was not even in the same region." According to Safa, Shishana was attending to the funeral arrangements of his late father.
Safa's version
According to the Safa statement, this is what transpired on the Friday preceding the match: "There was a meeting at 11:00. Kidron Kaboni went to the house of Mr Braam America (chairman of the George Sports Council and Safa regional executive member) to fetch him to attend a meeting. Mr America made it clear that he is not attending the meeting in his capacity as Safa regional executive, as he has no mandate to attend the meeting in such capacity.
"He informed them that he was attending the meeting in his capacity as chairman of the George Sports Council. He further advised the meeting that they needed to write a letter to Safa Eden regarding the football matches that were scheduled to be played. This letter was sent late Friday afternoon, however it was only read by Mr Shishana later that evening."
Safa added that communication was sent to Geolfa to remind them of the consequences of proceeding with the match between Young Blues and Diego Masters without the necessary authorisation.
"To reiterate, Safa was never informed or received a request for these clubs to participate - no invitation was received. It was thus not possible for Geolfa to give authorisation for the clubs to participate otherwise it would have been in serious violation of the regional Safa statutes. Hence no such thing as boycotting [took place] as the municipality has reported."
Geolfa’s secretary, Bathini Malobola, requested the municipality and Municipal Manager Trevor Botha further investigate the failure of this event before taking a decision to end relations with Safa.
At the time of going to press no response was received from the municipality as the top officials and councillors were all attending a Mayco meeting. Should the municipality wish to respond to Safa and Geolfa's version of events, we will gladly publish their response.
Geolfa secretary, Bathini Malobola
ARTICLE: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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