S. African police to probe FIFA bribery claims

The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's largest opposition party, on Monday laid corruption charges against South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan and his predecessor Molefi Oliphant. The probe was linked to an alleged bribe paid to secure the rights to host the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The charges under Section 3 of the South African Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004 arose from two letters - one written by Jordaan, who was in charge of the country's World Cup bid, to FIFA regarding South Africa's plan to donate funds to a Caribbean football development program. The other letter was sent by Oliphant, who was head of SAFA chief at the time.

South Africa had paid $10 million (8.9 million euros) through FIFA into an account controlled by Jack Warner, the disgraced former FIFA vice president from the Caribbean accused by US authorities for accepting bribes. US investigators have stated that they believed the money was a bribe to secure South Africa's selection as host of the 2010 competition.

14-page affidavit to support charges

DA lawmaker Solomon Malatsi told the AFP news agency that his party had laid "charges of corruption and fraud against the two individuals relating to their complicity in the $10 million that were meant for South Africa but were actually redirected to CONCACAF," referring to football's governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Warner was CONCACAF president at the time. He is currently awaiting his pending extradition to the United States to stand trial.

Malatsi added that the police could now begin to initiate a criminal investigation that would "help clear the cloud over this matter." In the 14-page affidavit filed with the police in Cape Town, he alleged that "Jordaan and Oliphant were complicit with, and indeed seemingly central to the bribery scheme."

Malatsi said the DA had been forced to turn to the courts after attempts to summon football officials to parliament were thwarted by South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Truthful allegations or political smear campaign?

However, the Democratic Alliance could be after a personal gain in the matter: one of the accused, Jordaan, is the current mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, which is also known as Port Elizabeth - a city which has seen three mayors in the past five years.

The DA stated that it hopes to take Nelson Mandela Bay from the ruling African National Congress, of which Jordaan is a member, in upcoming municipal elections in 2016. DA Mayoral Candidate Athol Trollip started his official bid for mayor earlier in September.

Port Elizabeth is the largest city in the Eastern Cape Province.

A moment of national pride

The South African government, which is dominated by the ANC, and national football officials have strenuously denied accusations that they paid a bribe to secure the right to host the first such tournament on the African continent. Authorities have so far insisted that the $10 million payment was an honest donation to support football among the "African diaspora" in the Caribbean.

Accusations of bribery to win the World Cup have triggered angry responses in South Africa, where the event is still remembered as a moment of national pride.

ss/cmk (AFP, AP)