Mokoena gets bitten

Verbal deal over signed contract costs him

REPORTS suggests that Gay Mokoena shot himself in the foot for his verbal agreement to continue as acting chief executive of the South African Football Association, despite the fact that his contract had come to an end.

In a letter titled the ‘Mokoena Report’, Mokoena accuses Safa president Danny Jordaan of flouting corporate governance principles and the organisation’s statutes, particularly when it comes to appointments and sacking of national executive committee members.

Following the resignation of Russell Paul, Mokoena was appointed as acting chief executive from November 2019 to March 2020.

“During the meeting of the NEC in October, I had indicated that due to my business commitment, I would be available for 3 or 4 months to assist,” Mokoena said in the introduction of the details of his contract.

“When we negotiated the details of the contract with the President, I added another month and made it 5 months, i.e. from November 2019 to March 2020. We signed the contract only in February 2020 because of the hectic programme of the President.”

However, working merely on principle and integrity, without anything written and signed, has since proven to be Mokoena’s weakest link, as the terms of his term were verbally agreed, as were his extended last days with the association.

With his contract set to come to an end on March 31, Mokoena continued to work for the association – through interactions he had with Jordaan – until April 14.

Upon the gentleman’s agreement – which Mokoena states happened through a phone call – Jordaan suggested that the then chief executive be paid half his salary for the month of April by chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo.

In a new letter that resurfaced on Saturday night, in which Safa, specifically Jordaan, responds to the ‘Mokoena Report’, attached is an email from Mokoena telling Hluyo of his gentleman’s agreement with Jordaan

Hluyo replied: “I would like to bring to your attention that your employment contract as the Acting Chief Executive Officer terminated on 31 March 2020. May you kindly engage the President, copied on this e-mail, regarding your employment post 31 March. We will wait to hear from you or the president regarding this matter.”

There was no response from either Mokoena nor Jordaan thereafter.

The association, however, emphasised in their latest financial report that they paid, in full, all salaries for the month of March.

At the time of going to print, efforts to get comment from Jordaan proved futile.