2 days ago
Director of Public Prosecutions void sees another delay in Danny Jordaan's fraud case
The suspension of Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke has affected the fraud case involving South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan. As a result, the case has been postponed for the umpteenth time.
The fraud case involving South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan and the national soccer federation's chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo has been postponed until 12 September 2025.
The pair appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Friday, 15 August, alongside their co-accused Trevor Neethling. The latter is the director of PR company Grit Communications, which Jordaan allegedly used to spruce up his image after he was accused of rape by singer and former ANC member of Parliament Jennifer Ferguson in 2017.
DPP problems
Neethling and his lawyer James Ndebele are still awaiting feedback from the office of the Johannesburg Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Ndebele submitted representations to the office of DPP Andrew Chauke, months before his subsequent suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025.
Ndebele reiterated his stance that his client was caught in the middle of internal Safa conflicts that aimed to remove Jordaan from his seat. Ndebele also lambasted Chauke.
In February, when Jordaan and his co-accused last appeared in court, Ndebele told the court that he had submitted representations to Chauke's office to have the matter thrown out of court as Neethling was a victim of Safa factionalism.
On Friday, Ndebele told the court that Chauke had only corresponded with him in June, four months later. Even then, it was to check whether his submissions were in their final form — something Ndebele said he had already confirmed with the DPP in February.
'This highlights, with the utmost respect to him, Advocate Chauke's incompetence,' Ndebele told the court.
'I've maintained for the longest time in these proceedings that my clients (Neethling and his company) are collateral damage. They are caught in the crossfire of a political smear campaign vilifying Danny Jordaan,' Ndebele added.
Justice delayed
Jordaan and Hluyo's legal representative Victor Nkwashu once again fruitlessly argued for the case to be thrown out of court as it was ruining the public image of his clients. This has been his argument since the pair were arrested in November 2024.
Hluyo and Jordaan's arrests followed a search and seizure at Safa House in March 2024. Nkwashu argued that his clients continued to suffer prejudice due to the ongoing case, hence they wanted it thrown out of court pending their review of the search and seizure.
That matter itself has yet to commence. There is also another outstanding court proceeding that involves the three accused appealing against Magistrate Sheron Soko-Rantao's decision to dismiss their Section 342A application last year.
That particular section of South Africa's Criminal Procedure Act addresses unreasonable delays in criminal proceedings.
'This brings us back to the application which we brought in December to have the matter removed from the roll. It was to avoid exactly this position that we are sitting in now. We are in the middle of August, from December 2024, when we said this matter will inevitably be humstrung by those high court applications,' Nkwashu stated.
State prosecutor Moagi Malebati countered this argument, saying that approaching the high court to review the merits of the search and seizure was a strategic move by Jordaan and Hluyo to strengthen their bid to have the case thrown out of court according to Section 342A.
'Self-created emergency'
'This is a self-created emergency by the accused. If the accused did not approach the high court with a view to have the search and seizure declared unlawful, we would not be having this problem. Because they know very well that a trial within a trial in this forum could easily deal with those issues, even quicker than the high court,' Malebati said.
Soko-Rantao expressed her frustration at having the matter once again postponed. She added that her hands were tied until at least the acting Johannesburg DPP assumed his role in September and pondered the merits of the submissions made by Ndebele, hence the postponement.
The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) Johannesburg spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane confirmed to journalists after court proceedings that Northern Cape DPP Mzukisi Sakata would temporarily replace Chauke.
'As the NPA it was impossible for us to preempt the suspension of the Director of Public Prosecutions… The minister has now appointed an acting DPP, who will assume their duties on 1 September,' Mjonondwane told journalists.
'We make a commitment as the NPA that as soon as he assumes duty, we will bring this matter to his attention and also inform him that the court has asked him to urgently deal with the matter of Jordaan and others. But there are also other outstanding matters that will seek his attention,' she added.
