Danny, are you OK?
Are you OK, Danny?
Have you been struck as an (alleged) smooth criminal?
“Alleged”. You will hear that word a lot over the next few months and years as the story of the fraud trial of Danny Jordaan and friends unfolds. “Alleged” is a safe word for journalists. It is also a word they don’t have to use in this case.
“Accused”. Now there’s a strong word, one with certainty and heft. Danny Jordaan — accused number one. It feels like a phrase we have been waiting so long to hear said out loud, there is a niggling sense of déjà vu about it. Haven’t we been here before? Are you sure? What about all that 2010 Fifa Legacy money? Hang on, that was in the days of “alleged”, the years of before “accused”.
“Stalingrad”. There’s another word that will come up a lot in the coming months as the fraud trial is mutated from the unfolding it should be to a legal morass of twists, turns and delays. Expect a trial of objections and interdicts as Jordaan, who has compared himself to Jacob Zuma in the past, seeks to stall and avoid his day in court just as the former president has done so successfully until his relationship with corruption was upgraded from “alleged” to “accused”. Was Zuma or (Schabir) Shaik, rattled and rolled by the charges? Not on your nelly.
It has been 20 years since Zuma was first implicated in corruption regarding the arms deal. “Zuma was served with a preliminary indictment in 2005 but the charges were dropped and reinstated multiple times over the years,” reported Associated Press.
Zuma’s trial
“Zuma pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing in 2021 that was supposed to mark the start of his trial, but it has been subject to long delay.”
Zuma’s trial will now start in April 2025. Maybe.
For Jordaan, the delays started in May 2020. Malesela Mooka, a Safa national executive committee member, laid criminal charges against Jordaan. The case number is Booysens Cas 42205/. Mooka’s complaint contains affidavits from Lucas Nhlapo, the former vice-president and chair of the Safa audit and risk committee, and former Safa CEO Dennis Mumble.
It took the Hawks until March 2024 to raid Safa House in Nasrec. In the five hours the Hawks spent at the House that Fifa built — it took Sepp Blatter R50m and five years to finish it for the 2010 World Cup — they seized a laptop, external hard drives, a USB flash drive and documents. The raid was “illegal and unlawful”, railed Jordaan.
Fast, er, forward seven months, and arrest warrants were issued for Jordaan and co-accused, Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo and PR executive Trevor Neethling. They were expected to hand themselves over. The first baby steps of Stalingrad were taken when Jordaan and Hluyo refused to do so, but Neethling did.
Delaying tactics
Jordaan and Hluyo went to the high court in Johannesburg to seek an interdict, arguing that Safa “had launched review proceedings against the search-and-seizure warrants issued that allowed the Hawks to raid Safa’s offices in March. He contended that the raid was the basis for the arrests. Jordaan further argued that if the warrants were set aside as unlawful, all the evidence gathered would also be illegal.”
The National Prosecuting Authority says the interdict is “flawed”. “Flawed” is, allegedly, legalese for “delaying tactic”. Jordaan then painted himself as the victim, telling the court: “I did not hand myself over for arrest, however, the police came to fetch me at my house and brought me before this court.”
Well, you’d have to say three counts of fraud, three counts of theft, and conspiracy to commit fraud and theft of R1.3m would encourage the police to send a car to pick you up. Neethling is obviously — allegedly — not giving Jordaan PR advice any more. It’s not a good look for someone to proclaim his innocence and then stay at home in the hope that it all blows over.
As well as accused one, two and three, just behind the dock were several Safa NEC members who supported accused number one on Wednesday. Safa COO Tebogo Motlanthe was there, as was CEO Lydia Monyepao. It’s a safe fence for them to sit on. Back Jordaan now in case he gets off. If he doesn’t, then, wahaay, Safa will be open for more risky and funny business under new management. Allegedly, that is. So very allegedly.
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