Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), was arrested at his home in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning on charges of fraud and theft. The arrest follows allegations that Jordaan used approximately R1.3 million of SAFA’s funds for personal benefit.
The Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit, had earlier issued arrest warrants for Jordaan, along with SAFA’s Chief Financial Officer, Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling. Neethling voluntarily handed himself over to the authorities, but Jordaan and Hluyo attempted to prevent their arrests by seeking an urgent interdict in the Gauteng High Court. However, their efforts were unsuccessful, and they were both taken into custody later that day.
Fraud and Theft Allegations
Jordaan and Hluyo are accused of using SAFA funds for personal expenses, including payments to Grit Communications, a company owned by Neethling, which allegedly provided personal services related to Jordaan’s image protection. These services were reportedly linked to allegations of rape made against Jordaan in 2017. The state claims that these payments, which amounted to over R1 million, were not part of any legitimate service agreement with SAFA.
Furthermore, Jordaan and Hluyo are also accused of facilitating an unlawful agreement between SAFA and Badger Security to provide personal security at the 2018 SAFA elective conference, again for Jordaan’s personal benefit.
The three accused individuals face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud, theft, and fraud itself. Jordaan and Hluyo have been charged with three counts of fraud and three counts of theft, while Neethling faces two counts of fraud.
Court Application and Arrest
Despite the Hawks’ expectation that the three would surrender voluntarily, only Neethling complied. Jordaan and Hluyo contested their arrests through legal channels, filing for an urgent interdict. In court papers, Jordaan argued that a review application was underway concerning the search-and-seizure warrants that led to the raid on SAFA’s offices earlier this year. He claimed that if these warrants were declared unlawful, any evidence gathered as a result would also be inadmissible.
In his affidavit, Jordaan explained that he had been contacted by the investigating officer on November 11, 2024, who requested that he surrender to the Hawks the following morning. However, Jordaan’s legal team advised him to prioritize the interdict application over the arrest. Despite this, Jordaan was arrested at his home in Johannesburg.
Phindi Mjonondwane, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), explained that the interdict application was flawed as it lacked a case number, prompting the Hawks to proceed with the arrest.
Defendants’ Responses and Bail
In their bail applications, all three accused expressed their intent to plead not guilty and argued that their arrests were an abuse of the court process due to the pending review application. Jordaan maintained that he would be acquitted as the state had no viable case against him, while Hluyo echoed similar sentiments.
Neethling, who runs Grit Communications, rejected the allegations, asserting that the charges were the result of factionalism within SAFA. He claimed that his company’s contract with SAFA was legitimate, and he provided evidence to show that his services were rendered according to a proper service level agreement.
All three accused were granted bail of R20,000 each, and they were ordered to surrender their passports. Neethling and Hluyo may only travel abroad with court approval, while Jordaan is allowed to keep his passport but must notify the investigating officer 72 hours in advance if he plans to leave the country.
The case has been postponed until December 5, 2024, when the disclosure of the docket will be made, signaling the completion of the investigations.