Changes loom at SAFA

Johannesburg - The SA Football Association (SAFA) says it will streamline its structure and its budget after a meeting of the body's national executive committee (NEC) on Saturday.

The NEC had approved in principle, according to SAFA, a budget framework for the association which would be presented to Congress for approval at the end of September.

It would involve cost savings at all levels of the association.

A week earlier the federation had said it was confident it remained financially secure, despite the 2012 financial report showing a loss of R56m.

SAFA said it would also reduce committees of the body from 23 to eight by a clustering of related committees.

"It's been a long road since the process of change began in November 2011," SAFA CEO Robin Petersen said in a statement.

Petersen said SAFA had succeeded in its attempt to deliver on the NEC's mandate and achieve the organisation's vision in an "efficient, effective and sustainable business manner".

"The next stage is one of detailed negotiations with SAFA staff, who have been consulted and kept advised along the way, and fitting as many as possible of the current staff complement into the new structure," Petersen said.

"It is a fact that not all staff will be able to be accommodated and, in these situations, due process will be followed."

Petersen said it was possible that not all vacancies would be filled by current SAFA staff members as some of the positions required different combinations of skills and experience.

The new SAFA structure was due to come in to effect on October 1.

The body's governance structures had also been reviewed, according to SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani, in an attempt to maximise efficiency "with the additional benefit of a reduction in costs".

"The current committee structure will be disbanded and replaced by eight oversight committees with a consequent reduction in committee members from over 230 to 80," Nematandani said.

"These proposals were unanimously approved at the NEC meeting."