SAFA NEC member blasts McKenzie over ‘grandstanding’ FIFA threat

The civil war within the South African Football Association (SAFA) has taken a bitter turn, with NEC member Gladwyn White accusing Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie of “grandstanding” and ignoring repeated pleas for intervention.

This comes after a chaotic NEC meeting at SAFA House on Saturday descended into a near-riot, forcing security to intervene as high-ranking officials almost came to blows. In the aftermath, McKenzie took to social media to label the fracas “shameful,” threatening to invite CAF and FIFA to investigate the governing body’s internal rot.

However, White—who was nearly forcibly evicted from the meeting—isn’t buying the Minister’s tough talk.

‘I Wrote to Him And He Did Nothing’: SAFA’s NEC Member

Speaking exclusively about the fallout, White expressed frustration that McKenzie is only speaking up now that the cameras are rolling.

“I have written several letters to him, asking him to intervene, and he has not done anything,” White revealed. “I’m not sure why he wants to involve CAF and FIFA now when he has not listened to us previously.”

As far back as November 2025, White reportedly flagged “urgent concerns regarding governance, financial mismanagement, and administrative failures” at Nasrec, but claims his warnings fell on deaf ears at the Ministry.

The Saturday meeting was reportedly a powder keg from the start. The spark was a motion brought forward by White calling for the suspension of SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao due to alleged performance failures.

The situation turned ugly when rival factions attempted to prioritise a counter-motion aimed at suspending White and his allies. Security guards in black suits were eventually called into the boardroom to remove dissenting voices.

“We are going nowhere,” White was heard shouting in a video leaked from the venue, pointing toward SAFA President Danny Jordaan. “We were elected into the SAFA NEC by the same congress as him.”

The abandonment of Saturday’s sitting marks the second time in three months that SAFA has failed to conclude an NEC meeting, following a similar collapse in January.

The agenda was high-stakes, including: Proposed dates for the 2026 Elective Congress. Danny Jordaan’s expected bid for a fourth term. Critical committee reports and the latest financial statements.

While SAFA released a statement claiming the meeting was adjourned to “protect the integrity of the association” from four disruptive members, the reality on the ground suggests an organisation paralysed by factionalism.

With a Minister threatening international intervention and an NEC in open revolt, the road to the next elective congress looks increasingly like a minefield.