Department: Sort and Recreation South Africa

5 June 2015

Today's Media24 headline: "Mbeki decided to donate the $10m to FIFA - Mbalula" (see here) is a distortion of what I told the Media24 in an interview I had with them.

I reiterated what I said during Wednesday's press briefing, which was that former President Thabo Mbeki had, on previous occasions, publicly made reference to South Africa's contribution to soccer development to other parts of the African Continent and the Diaspora in the context of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Some of this information is available electronically, for instance on YouTube and articles on the internet.

Subsequent to the interview, News24 contacted me for a response to two former Cabinet ministers, Ronnie Kasrils and Terror Lekota both of whom allegedly stated that cabinet never approved any financial contribution to the Diaspora.

I responded that both former Ministers should be aware that their view is politically reactionary. I also questioned Why 'Red Ronny' feels the need to do imperialism's bidding.

I refer to this response because it is abundantly clear to those with a semblance of progressive politics that the bribery allegations are being used to pursue political agendas, with the unsuspecting as but easy prey.

Underlying much of the commentary is a thinly veiled offensive against South Africa's right to determine her own foreign and domestic policy. In this context, a policy affirmation to the African Diaspora which has suffered the crimes of slavery and racism, sets a bad example to those who want to keep Africans as hewers of wood and drawers of water!

It is not inconceivable that the equality among nations within FIFA might fall victim of hidden agendas.

While we must continue to insist on a corruption-free FIFA, we must take care that we do not lose sight of potentially injurious machinations in the geo-political sphere.

The truth is twisted to fit the headline by Media24. The report tried to twist the truth by seeking to suggest that the was something amiss by mentioning the name of the former president. Fact is, Mr Mbeki was president at that time. There is nothing new, nothing amiss, nothing conspicuous, at the end, its just a sensational headline.

South African government took the decision and SAFA executed it hence the letters of Dr Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant.

Statement issued by Ministry of Sport and Recreation South African, June 5 2015