OPEN LETTER TO SAFA

Rape at Fun Valley

Dear SAFA.

At what cost? A culture of intimidation, self-preservation and consequential impunity.

A seeming culture of indifference?

All forensic auditors, forensic investigators and forensic accountants have a code of conduct and a code of ethics. A duty to live by or choose to simply pay lip service to.

Until this week my sole interest was to challenge the SAFA lack of ethics, governance, risk and compliance. Or seeming lack thereof. It’s been a purely academic exercise.

Of course, you didn’t like that.

Your response was swift. It was totally predictable. You instituted a process to first ridicule, insult, then attempt to intimidate and silence me through a criminal complaint and civil lawsuit. Better known as Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation.

You might not like to hear this, but I’ve been enjoying myself immensely.

Your most recent lawyers letter missive warned, ominously;

"As you will know from the above subject matter of the above-mentioned case number pending in the High Court in Pretoria, our clients have issued summons against your client (Mr Bart Henderson) for his unlawful and malicious defamatory conduct in publishing a so called forensic report and a petition for signatures by members of the general public on his website change.org. The matter is thus subject to judicial consideration, ie. “sub judice”.

In our view, this constitutes contempt of court, and aggravates the unlawful and unconstitutional conduct of your client. In due course, we will seek to amend our clients damages claim to deal with this aggravated conduct.

Notwithstanding the pending litigation between the parties, your client has again published a petition which deals with the same subject matter as the pending litigation between the parties, and has also caused it to be published for even wider public consumption on the News24 platform."

I chuckled.

But all that changed this week Friday 20th October when three documents landed on my desk from a source, followed quickly by an 18 September 2009 news article “PASTOR on the run” Sowetan Live; by Frank Maponya.

The Modimolle police were looking for John Mathalela Mthunzini, whom they believe could help them solve about 17 cases of fraud.

Mthunzini, secretary of the South African Football Association in the Waterberg region allegedly defrauded the association of more than R50 000 between October 2008 and April 2009.

Mthunzini was not new to controversy. In 2008 he was arrested on allegations of sodomy. The case was eventually thrown out of court.

John Mthunzini Manager: Events. Executive Support currently still serves in a senior position in SAFA structures.

Which brings me to the three documents that landed on my desk. One is a written complaint accusing John Mthunzini of the rape of a boy at Fun Valley on 04 December 2015 and the sexual harassment of another.

The second is a copy of a note in black ink with a criminal case number, the names and telephone numbers of two detectives investigating the case and the name in red of a witness. The third is the name of the mother of one of the boys.

None of which has appeared in the media.

My gripe with SAFA has always been dispassionate, infused with moments of astonishment, sometimes mirth, and sometimes humour.

But all that changed on Friday. I found myself no longer dispassionate, I found myself in shock, in an absolute turmoil of emotion ranging from a stupefied stunned silence, deep introspection, sorrow, outrage, and a burning anger being confronted by this information.

I have spoken to most the parties directly involved in dealing with this matter at SAFA at the time. Without exception they claim interference, harassment and intimidation during enquiries. Specifically naming Mr Danny Jordaan. I have this in writing from multiple sources.

They are not privy to who I am talking to among them.

The matter-of-fact tone of their testimony, an almost seemingly casual indifference, while I was deeply seething, was bone chilling. It spoke of a conspiracy of silence around yet another charge of SAFA rape, this time involving young boys.

All of which has culminated in this letter.

This is where I draw the line.

SAFA may attempt to hold me in contempt of court. My contempt for SAFA and its leadership is beyond palpable.

In light of the revelations emerging thick and fast regarding the conduct of SAFA, I am telling you, in the full glare of the public, in spite, or irrespective of my own legal counsel advice, I will not be silenced.

I am fully prepared to put myself at the mercy of the court.

I will battle you to the very gates of hell whatever the cost, with a ruthlessness, relentlessness and determination you have never encountered.

Immoral cowards. I am not a defenceless woman in a hotel room, an isolated child in Fun Valley, or a pliant, compliant SAFA acolyte selling my soul for a shekle to empower or defend the indefensible. 

To your lawyers, and their threat to amend your damages claim to deal with my aggravated conduct, go ahead. There is no price I can put on my conscience or conviction. I am not you! I'm picky about where I get my money when it comes time to eat.

I’m not sure who I hold in the greater contempt, who disgusts or who aggravates me more, them, or you.

I back my 28 years of experience as a hardened investigator over your posturing in a heartbeat.

Prepare for a second petition. One I actually did cause to be published again. 

I demand a commission of enquiry into all allegations of sexual misconduct and full forensic investigation into SAFA and its alleged mismanagement and misconduct cupcakes. I demand the immediate suspension of Mr Danny Jordaan and Mr Gronie Hluyo pending the outcome of all investigations.