By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – FIFA have written to the South African government warning them against a judicial inquiry into the country’s recent match-fixing scandal, insisting the matter must be handled by the football authorities. Government interference in football, typically frequent in Africa and Asia, is banned by FIFA who have not been afraid to issue to warnings and sanctions.
Late last year a damning 500-page FIFA report into a series of friendlies immediately prior to the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa revealed that five senior officials were involved with notorious Singaporean match fixer Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation in rigging warm-up matches against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala.
As a result, the five, including SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani, were briefly suspended at home before being re-instated pending a full investigation.
South Africa’s Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) have since recommended a judicial commission of inquiry but FIFA warned of possible consequences should the government be seen to be intervening in football matters.
South Africa’s sports minister Fikile Mbalula told local media he would travel to FIFA headquarters in Zurich to discuss the issue. “SASCOC have made a recommendation to us that we must go ahead with a judicial commission of inquiry into the matter,” Mbalula said. “Match-fixing is about fraud, corruption and mismanagement. There is a rule of law in South Africa. Where there are suspicions, they must be investigated. SAFA must understand that you can’t be a referee and player at the same time.”
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