Hands-off Sasfa, says MEC Lesufi
JOBURG – Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi has backed Sasfa to organise schools' football.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi has endorsed the South African Schools Football Association (Sasfa) as the only legal body entitled to conduct football activities in schools.
He was speaking at the launch of the McDonald’s U14 Schools League at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto, where he appealed to the powers that be in football in the country politicise the game.
Sasfa, which is an affiliate of the football mother body, the South African Football Association (Safa), has been embroiled in a turf war with Safa which wants to take over and organise football activities in schools.
“I would like to urge the powers that be in football not to bring politics into the game,” Lesufi said.
“We have known Sasfa as the legitimate structure that organises schools’ football for many years and has been dealing with it from time immemorial.
“All of a sudden, we hear there are squabbles between the child and the parent body over who has the right to organise schools’ football. I think if we have problems we must learn to deal with them and not drag politics into the game.”
Lesufi did not want to go into too much detail but said, “Sasfa is and will remain the only legal structure in the country that organises football activities in our schools. Let’s not politicise our difference but rather sit and iron them out.”
