Ria Ledwaba, who previously served as the vice-president of the South African Football Association (Safa), has denied claims she is part of an unhappy group of the association’s former employees.
Speaking to Thabiso Mosia on Radio 2000, Ledwaba shared her concerns about the operations and direction of the association, emphasising that the problems she’s identified and talked about are not new but were issues she tried to address during her time at Safa from 2018 to 2022.
According to her, Safa punishes those who dare to challenge or question leadership decisions, particularly those made by its president, Danny Jordaan.
She spoke about her experiences and those of her colleagues, including Gay Mokoena, Lucas Nhlapo, and Elvis Shishana, who, despite their senior positions, were sidelined for speaking out about issues affecting Safa.
Ledwaba’s relationship with Jordaan soured following her decision to lead the call of several regional associations who were unanimous in their dissatisfaction about the lack of Safa funding for their football activities, internal politicking and favouritism.
Her attempts to organise a meeting between local football regions across the country and Jordaan to address their concerns were pushed back.
Throughout the interview, Ledwaba painted a picture of an organisation struggling with internal politics, where fear of reprisal silences critical voices.
She called for more open and democratic processes in Safa.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Ria Ledwaba.
Image source: File
