After being banned from playing football, former vice president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Ria Ledwaba and the local football mother body are set for another judicial battle.
This follows a letter from Ledwaba’s attorneys stating that she is contesting SAFA’s ruling to bar her from participating in any football-related activity.
The SAFA, the football governing body, proclaimed Ledwaba a “persona non-grata” within the organization in a letter dated March 6, 2024, from Lydia Monyepao, the CEO of the organization. The letter used Ledwaba’s decision to sue SAFA and request arbitration in order to contest the results of the June 2022 presidential elections as justification for taking this move.
The former proprietor of the Ria Stars nightclub brought up issues with the constitutional amendment that led to her running against SAFA President Danny Jordaan in the SAFA Elective Congress.
However, SABC Sport has learned that she is appealing the South Gauteng High Court Division’s decision to reject her court bid.
“You have damaged SAFA’s reputation with your actions, including your unsuccessful prior lawsuit, and your refusal to recognize the election results. Furthermore, your behavior is inconsistent with our association’s standards and beliefs.
“After giving it some serious thought and going over the last several events in detail, the SAFA National Executive Committee has decided to designate you ‘persona non grata’ inside our organization. Stated differently, the letter stated that you are excluded from any football-related activities and activities that fall under SAFA’s purview.
Ledwaba was mentioned by SAFA in an unsuccessful court case to prevent the organization’s congress from happening on June 26, 2022.
Furthermore, according to Judge Holland-Muter, you linked yourself to an application filed in the Cape Town High Court on June 1, 2022, seeking to prevent the holding of the SAFA national congress scheduled for June 26, 2022, as part of your attempts to sabotage the organization’s operations. The letter went on, “The application was denied, leading to a punitive costs order against you.
Ledwaba, however, is not giving up just yet. On March 12, she wrote to SAFA through her lawyer and former SAFA NEC member Vernon Seymour, disputing the NEC’s decision to ban her.
“I’m sure you know that our client, Ledwaba, has requested permission to appeal, and you’ve already been notified that you intend to oppose their motion. The letter from Lionel Cay Attorneys addressed to SAFA stated, “We, therefore, submit that your client’s NEC decision was premature along with the issue of your aforesaid letter.”
The letter continues, “It appears that this decision was made with malicious intent and a clear objective to defame our client. Nothing in your statutes empowers your NEC to declare someone ‘a persona non-grata.'” Your NEC ruling has upset our client, and she will think about her alternatives.”
The news that SAFA Tshwane President Solly Mohlabeng, a different presidential contender, received a similar letter and is awaiting a disciplinary committee hearing comes only a few days before the highly anticipated SAFA NEC meeting this coming weekend.
If the NEC’s decision to ban Ledwaba is not overturned, she is threatening to bring SAFA back to court.
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