By Dylan Bettencourt
- Safa has until 1 August to pay R729,000 in travel, referee and prize fees or face further court action.
- Sasol’s sponsorship deal has ended and may not be renewed unless Safa agrees to strict financial oversight.
The start of the Sasol Women’s League in the North West has been blocked by a court order after Safa failed to pay the clubs their overdue funds from last season.
The league, which features 18 women’s teams and is the female version of the NFD, was meant to begin in February. But teams refused to play after Safa failed to pay money owed from the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
On Friday, Judge AJ Wessels at the Mahikeng High Court ordered the South African Football Association (Safa) to pay all outstanding subsidies, referee fees and prize money within seven days by 1 August.
Safa must also give each team two full playing kits by that date, City Press reported.
Lawyer Vernon Seymour, who represents nine North West clubs, said the R729,000 figure is likely only part of what is owed. He said Safa failed to explain how much prize money clubs should have received, leaving many in the dark.
Most of the teams are from rural areas and depend on public transport for away games. Without the money, they can’t register players or pay affiliation fees. Safa paid each club R8,000 in May, but that was not enough to cover debts, so the clubs went to court.
This is the second court win for Seymour. In March, the Western Cape High Court also ordered Safa to pay nearly R2-million to clubs there. Safa has still not paid, and Seymour has now filed for a contempt of court case.
The ongoing legal drama may cost Safa its top women’s football sponsor. Sasol, which has funded women’s football for years, confirmed its deal with Safa ended in June and won’t be renewed without stronger oversight.
Sasol has pumped R56-million into Safa since 2021, including R16-million for the 2024/25 season. But the company now wants a joint oversight committee and all unpaid club funds cleared before signing anything new.
The association is already facing major financial trouble, with debts R141-million higher than its assets and a R5.4-million loss reported last year.
Pictured above: The Sasol Women’s League.
Image source: Sasol Women’s League
