Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - Comment was not immediately available on Sunday's reports that SA Football Association (SAFA) President and new Nelson Mandela Bay metro mayor Danny Jordaan knew about a transfer of $10m around the time South Africa won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
But, Jordaan reportedly said it was not a bribe.
According to a report on Independent Online, Jordaan said: “I haven’t paid a bribe or taken a bribe from anybody in my life. We don’t know who is mentioned there (in the indictment).
“And I don’t want to assume that I am mentioned.
“They can ask all the executives of Fifa that I have engaged with,” said Jordaan, adding: “During my tenure as CEO at the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee, I was bound by regulations set out in the Schedule of Delegated Authority (Soda).
“Under that authority, I could authorise payments of a maximum of R1m.”
Jordaan said South Africa won the 2010 World Soccer Cup bid on 15 May 2004 and the $10m was only paid by FIFA to Concacaf in 2008.
“How could we have paid a bribe for votes four years after we had won the bid?”
According to IOL, this was the first time South Africa had confirmed paying money to a football association led by former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, one of the officials arrested and indicted this week by the FBI in the US in connection with alleged corruption.
Jordaan, who was the 2010 LOC chief executive, said that the $10m was paid to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) in 2008 as South Africa’s contribution towards their football development fund, according to the report. Warner was at the time president of Concacaf.
South Africa is alleged to have promised to pay Warner $10m for his support for the 2010 bid. It was not possible to pay the money from SA government funds, so the money was allegedly deducted directly from a $100m payment Fifa made to South Africa to help finance the hosting of the tournament, thereby concealing the alleged bribe.
Jordaan did not respond to calls for further clarity on Sunday or a text with questions, and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula's spokesperson Esethu Hasane said they had no comment.
''We can't comment on behalf of the LOC. The government's position is the statement that was issued Thursday,'' he said.
That statement said that no such amount was paid by the department or the government of SA. Their books for the 2010-11 financial year had been audited and not such transfer was found.
''The funds transferred to the Local Organising Committee were also accounted for.''
The department had noted the US Attorney General's allegations and would follow their investigation.
