SAFA explain Patrice Motsepe’s nomination for CAF presidency

The CAF executive committee, where SAFA president Danny Jordaan serves as vice -president, has decided to convene a CAF ordinary and elective general assembly on March 12, 2021 in Morocco.

This will mark the end of the four-year term for the president, members of the CAF executive and members of the FIFA council.

READ | SAFA BACKS PATRICE MOTSEPE FOR TOP AFRICAN JOB

The closing date for submission of the nominations is November 12, 2020 in Cairo, Egypt (at least four months before the elections).

The candidates for the presidency must be nominated by at least one CAF-affiliated national association.

SAFA submitted the candidature of Patrice Motsepe for the position of president of CAF. The CAF president, upon being elected, automatically becomes a vice-president of FIFA.

At least three other CAF-affiliated national associations must support the nomination of SAFA.

CAF-affiliated national associations can nominate or support only one candidate. SAFA announced that the following countries endorsed Motsepe’s submission:

Nigeria

Sierra Leone

Botswana

Zimbabwe

Why did SAFA nominate Patrice Motsepe for CAF president?

In a statement, SAF said: The SAFA national executive committee approved a round-robin resolution by an overwhelming majority to nominate Motsepe for the position of president of CAF. His football and business success is well recorded in our continent and in the world.

In 2017 Forbes Magazine commemorated its 100th anniversary and honoured Motsepe as one of the “100 Greatest Living Business Minds” in the world alongside prominent global business leaders like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma and others. He is the only person living on the African continent to be recognised and honoured as one of the “100 Greatest Living Business Minds” in the world.

In January 2013 Motsepe and his wife, Precious Moloi-Motsepe joined the Giving Pledge which was started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. Motsepe committed to giving half of the wealth held by the Motsepe family to the poor and for philanthropic purposes during his lifetime and that of his wife and beyond. In April 2019, Forbes Magazine stated that in excess of $500 million had been donated by the Motsepe family to the poor and for philanthropic purposes.