Safa presidential candidate Ria Ledwaba has warned that she will not be bullied by anyone at the association, including incumbent Danny Jordaan.
Ledwaba briefed the media on Wednesday on her candidacy in the Safa presidential elections a day after she filed a court order to interdict the elections due on June 25.
Ledwaba, Jordaan and Safa Tshwane president Solly Mohlabeng were cleared by the governance committee on Monday to stand for the Safa presidency in the elective congress.
Jordaan, gunning for his third term in Safa elective congress, has come under a lot of criticism over his leadership style and has been accused of corruption.
One of the criticisms he is facing is because some constitutional changes made at a March 26 congress were aimed at entrenching him as president.
“I have serious concerns of violations and our constitutions that have been overhauled and not in line with the status. I have done my part in the house and lodged my disputes with the association,” Ledwaba explained to the media on Wednesday.
“I have stated what my disputes are and I have been denied an opportunity to come and address those disputes internally. I was told they don’t know where you want your disputes to go. I wanted the matter to be dealt with internally. That’s where I decided to talk to my legal team and went to court.”
In a letter she also wrote to Fifa to express her concerns where she copied Safa and CAF, Ledwaba said she was surprised to see a response from CAF saying they are monitoring proceedings.
She also added that she expects to be expelled by Safa as they have currently charged her as a way to frustrate her.
“Firstly, I didn’t write a letter to CAF. Because I’m a principled member of football, I decided to copy CAF and Safa and why CAF responded, I have no idea,” she said.
“I don’t want to respond to them. They know why they have responded, but the letter was not written to them. I’m still waiting for a response from Fifa and I’m confident I will get it from them.
“But this organisation that I love so much, I would not allow myself to be bullied. I am not going to be frightened by any letter or any other thing that they are trying to do.
“I’m going to stand firm and I’m going to fight for the next generation, not personally. I’m not fighting for Ria to be a president. I’m fighting a constitutional fight where the next generation may find this level very clean.”
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