The indictment of Jack Warner, former Vice President of FIFA, revealed that at least two South African officials were central to the 2010 World Cup bribery. The two individuals have not yet been named but have been described as high ranking members of the 2010 Bid Committee and the LOC.
While the details of the charge sheet has not been made public, the Democratic Alliance’s Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, Solomon Malatsi, has written to the Justice Minister, Mike Masutha, insisting he makes the charge sheet public. Malatsi argues this will be the only way to clear two officials who has already been fingered in the scandal: “part time” Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Mr Danny Jordaan (pictured above), and former President of SAFA, Mr Molefi Oliphant.
The DA will also be submitting parliamentary questions to get clarity on the progress made with the criminal investigation initiated by the DA in September.
Malatsi says he welcomes the fact that the South African government has been collaborating with US law enforcement. Yet, Minister Masutha’s answers to the DA’s parliamentary questions is vague and void of detail. “His response does not confirm which two South Africans are going to be formally charged for their involvement in this scandal that has unfortunately blemished the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup that all South Africans held in such high esteem.
“We know that both Jordaan and Oliphant are implicated in the decision to transfer the money for CONCACAF’s Diaspora Legacy Programme in two letters. A letter, written and signed by Jordaan in his capacity the CEO of the Bid Committee in December 2007, shows that he instructed FIFA to authorise the $10 million payment to CONCACAF. A second letter from Oliphant to FIFA in March 2008 shows the he too instructed the payment of the $10 million,” says Malatsi.
The DA has already laid criminal charges against both Jordaan and Oliphant, which include fraud as well as corruption under Section 3 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004.
The party argues that it will be in the interest of justice that the South African government does not wait for a foreign government to investigate allegations of bribery on home soil.
“The fact of the matter is that corruption steals opportunities from the people of South Africa, and in his case, from the development of a sport we love in our country. Corruption must not be tolerated. Those responsible must face the consequences for choosing to act dishonestly. This requires transparency and Minister of Justice has an opportunity to show leadership in this regard and must do so without hesitation,” the DA says in a statement.
