A nasty battle is brewing between Ria Ledwaba and the South African Football Association (Safa) after the experienced administrator was removed from her position as the association's vice-president on Saturday.
Ledwaba was dismissed after she was found to be at fault for seeking political intervention for the way the country's FA is run under the leadership of Dr Danny Jordaan.
In April, the former Ria Stars boss wrote to Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa following Safa's response to Gay Mokoena's allegations against Jordaan.
Mokoena alleged in his report to the National Executive Committee (NEC) that it was Jordaan who requested him to step aside as acting CEO despite not having the powers to do so.
In their response, Safa denied the allegations and pledged support for Jordaan, and that didn't sit well with Ledwaba and his subsequent reaction got her removed from her position.
However, Ledwaba claims there were already calls for her to be removed as Safa's vice-president even before she wrote to Mthethwa.
"I know for a fact that before I even wrote a letter to the Minister, already there was a call by the NEC that I must be removed,” Ledwaba told FarPost.
"In fact, I was the most insulted vice-president ever since the report of Gay Mokoena, you understand?
"Now the Gay Mokoena report comes, goes to the President copied to all NEC, the President does not respond to Mokoena to say I acknowledge receipt of your report and the matter will be addressed."
Ledwaba then wrote to Jordaan asking him to give direction in the manner in which the association should handle Mokoena's damning allegation, and she alleged that this was ignored.
She feels Safa NEC's reasons that she shouldn't have written to the Mthethwa was used as a convenient excuse, and she promised to challenge the decision to remove her.
"But I am not going to be silent, I am going to challenge this decision," added Ledwaba.
"They must do things according to the constitution, Danny cannot be a law unto himself, he can’t! And I told him yesterday. The letter to the Minister is just a scapegoat.
"The NEC decided a long time ago that they want to fire me and Mokoena, that’s the point and that’s the truth and they all know.
"All that I am telling you now I told them straight to their face during the meeting [on Saturday]. I told them that ‘really 30-something men, you are afraid to look me in my eyes and tell me if you feel I have done something wrong’."
Ledwaba said she was hurt by the fact that women within the organisation were mobilised to vote for her removal and alleged that some have already promised her position.
"You know the hurtful thing for me in that meeting was to see women voting that I should be released. That was the most hurtful part. I was very hurt by that, but you know why?" she asked.
"Because they are promised to be given the position of the vice-president. So, I understand but it was a bit hurtful and they know what they did to me yesterday was wrong, they know that it was an orchestrated move.
"In fact, to be honest with you, Safa is an abnormal organisation, honestly. It is a completely abnormal organisation and I have told the president [Jordaan]. I have had meetings with him and I told him."
