Controversy leads to last minute postponement of Safa Cape Town elections

Mark Ward

Never a dull moment in the boardrooms of South African football.

A last-minute settlement between SAFA Cape Town and the Langa-Ndabeni Local Football Association has brought about the postponement of the region’s fiercely contested elections, pending the outcome of an arbitration process.

The eleventh-hour agreement was concluded on Sunday morning after the Langa-Ndabeni Local Football Association launched an urgent High Court application late on Saturday afternoon. The annual general meeting, however, went ahead at the University of the Western Cape, but no elections took place.

Bennett Bailey, the president of Safa Cape Town and central figure in the controversy, stated that the attempt to nullify the Congress failed. The court accepted, based on case law rather than emotions, that Congress could continue up to the elections.

“So, as things stand, the elections will be held this Sunday at the same venue at UWC or otherwise directed by the arbitration. But for now, the elections will be held on Sunday,” said Bailey.

The settlement, however, represents a significant victory for the Langa-Ndabeni LFA and the Metropolitan Local Football Association, both of which have consistently challenged the integrity of the nominations process.

While the AGM proceeded as planned at UWC, no elections were held, and the meeting was limited to the tabling of reports. An independent arbitration process will now determine whether and when elections may take place.

The latest standoff has evoked memories of the upheaval that rocked Cape Town football more than a decade ago, when Norman Arendse assumed the presidency in 2009 following the intervention of Songezo Nayo, who had served as an administrator of the association for 14 months before Arendse’s takeover.

At the centre of the current dispute is Bailey’s solo bid to retain the president’s seat, as he was set to be elected unopposed for a third term after his sole challenger, Eric Gum, was disqualified during the nominations audit.

Gum, the chairperson of Wanderers FC, was nominated by both the Langa-Ndabeni and Metropolitan LFAs. His supporters subsequently filed for arbitration, alleging serious procedural irregularities and conflicts of interest within the regional electoral structures.

The controversy followed the circulation of a final nominations list by auditor Charlton Jansen of Jansen Accountants, reflecting that Gum’s nominations had been rejected.

According to the auditor, the Langa-Ndabeni nomination was invalid because its secretary was allegedly not a member in good standing, while the Metropolitan LFA’s nomination was rejected due to a missing signature. Metropolitan LFA disputes that finding and maintains its nomination form carried the required signatures.

In a formal objection, the Metropolitan LFA further alleged that Jansen is a member of the Tygerberg Local Football Association, which nominated Bailey, creating, it argued, a reasonable perception of bias.

Gum previously served as vice-president under Arendse from 2013 to 2018, before Bailey succeeded Arendse as regional president. Former allies Gum and Bailey have since become rivals, with Gum’s camp describing the electoral process as compromised.

Bailey’s future, and that of his fellow exco members, is now firmly in the hands of the arbitrator, with the regional body’s entire electoral framework set to come under legal and administrative scrutiny.