December 30 – A senior South African FA official has been accused of sexual harassment and soliciting sexual favours from a young female colleague.
Vernon Seymour, the competitions manager for the African Nations Championship (Chan) that kicks off January 11 and was in charge of training and match venues for the tournament, allegedly used his position and the name and resources of the Chan Local Organising Committee to solicit sexual favours.
However, in an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court this week, he claimed the allegations were untrue.
“I deny that I in any way sexually harassed (the complainant), nor offered or promised her a job, either at (the LOC) or at SAFA Cape Town. I also deny that I solicited sexual favours from her,” he said.
Seymour was suspended from duties on November 3 by SAFA Cape Town, before it held a disciplinary hearing regarding the sex claims. The hearing continued until December 11, before being adjourned to February.
Two days later Seymour received another notice from the LOC of a disciplinary inquiry was to be held on December 18 in connection with similar allegations. Seymour said he attended that hearing, where he unsuccessfully asked for a postponement.
The hearing was supposed to start on December 23, but Seymour sought the urgent intervention of the courts. Seymours’ argument is that the same allegations are already the subject of the pending SAFA Cape Town disciplinary proceedings.
“I want this matter to be fully presented to this honourable court, as I am now being tried in two different forums of the South African Football Association, involving the same facts, the same issues, the same parties and the same cause.
“It is my respectful submission that the proceedings instituted by the South African Football Association regional member, SAFA Cape Town, should be concluded first before any further proceedings are launched involving the sexual allegations of (the complainant),” he said.
Seymour said he had not been given a copy of the complaint, which further disadvantaged him.
Seymour was given a reprieve until January 21, after the judge ordered the LOC and the complainant to show cause on that date why the LOC disciplinary proceedings should not be stayed, pending the outcome of Seymour’s application.
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