Safa chief executive Lydia Monyepao has assured stakeholders that the R30 million allocated for VAR is safe in a dedicated account, as the association works to complete governance checks within a final 21-day extension.
The South African Football Association (Safa) has conceded that it has taken longer than expected to update the office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture on the process of implementing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, despite having already been in touch with relevant stakeholders such as the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie lambasted Safa for failing to roll out VAR this season, despite the department providing the required funding as far back as April. McKenzie added that he demands the association update him within 21 working days or return the R30 million the department disbursed.
The matter surrounding the delay escalated on Tuesday as Safa’s leadership – including Chief Executive Lydia Monyepao and Vice-President Linda Zwane – appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture to address questions regarding the association.
Mxolisi Sibam, head of Safa’s Finance Committee in the National Executive Committee (NEC), revealed to MPs that the association had indeed received the money from the department. He noted that the funds are held in a separate ring-fenced account and have yet to be touched due to various policy and regulatory steps that must be completed prior to allocation.
