Danny Jordaan’s fraud case delayed further, following another postponement

In soccer terms, the fraud case involving South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan is deadlocked – it is a stalemate and currently unclear which side will score the winning goal. Although the State is under increasing pressure.

The matter dates back to November 2024 when Jordaan and his two co-accused were arrested. The Safa president of 12 years was nabbed by police, alongside the national soccer federation’s chief of finance Gronie Hluyo and journalist-turned businessman Trevor Neethling. This for allegedly defrauding Safa.

Following another appearance at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Ekurhuleni on Friday, 12 September 2025 – the matter was once again postponed. This time to 21 November.

New evidence

One of the reasons for the postponement is the emergence of email evidence amounting to 64 gigabytes, which the State says is crucial to the case. The emails are related to Neethling and his PR company Grit Communications – which Jordaan is alleged to have hired to cleanse his public image after a rape accusation in 2017.

In August, the matter was postponed so that acting Johannesburg Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mzukisi Sakata could review representations made by Neethling’s lawyer James Ndebele. In these submissions, Ndebele argued for the matter to be removed from the court roll as his client is collateral damage in Safa factionalism.   

Sakata dismissed the representations and backed the State’s case. In the process, the State obtained new information via Ndebele’s submission to the acting DPP. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Johannesburg spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane elaborated on this after Friday’s court proceedings had concluded.   

“As indicated by the prosecutor in court, the State had to disclose further information that involves the email account of accused number two, Neethling. That emanated from the representations that he submitted to the office of the acting DPP,” explained Mjondodwane.

“We have indicated as the State that we had to conduct further investigations emanating from the information that he raises in his representations. So, it’s not new information that we are providing as the State,” said Mjonondwane.

The State said it subpoenaed telecommunications company Afrihost in order to obtain Neethling’s emails, but not all 64 gigabytes of information obtained is related to the case, according to prosecutor Moagi Malebati.

Back and forth

Meanwhile Jordaan and Hluyo’s legal representative Victor Nkwashu once again implored Magistrate Brian Nemavhidi to strike the matter off the court roll. Nkwashu cited how stagnant the case has been, even in its pre-trial form.  

Hluyo and Jordaan’s arrests followed a search and seizure at Safa House in March 2024. Nkwashu argued that his clients continue to suffer prejudice due to the ongoing case, hence they want it thrown out of court, pending their review of the search and seizure at the High Court.

However, prosecutor Malebati countered that the High Court action – which also includes a review of the lawfulness of the arrest of Hluyo and Jordaan – is the one creating the most delays in the matter. Something Mjonondwane reiterated.

“We have indicated in court that the accused persons are the ones delaying this matter. Because they could have chosen the easier way – which is to bring interlocked applications that can be entertained through processes like a trial within a trial – but the very same court we are in,” Mjonondwane told journalists.

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“However, they chose to bring review applications to the High Court – which is delaying this matter further. So, they cannot complain about delays because they are the ones exercising their rights by approaching the High Court,” the NPA spokesperson said.

Nkwashu, on the other hand, argues that his clients were well within their rights to pursue the High Court route, regardless of a heavy backlog of cases in that forum.

“It is not true that the accused went to the High Court and created a self-inflicted injury, which is now backfiring by causing a delay? No. The accused exercised their rights, within reasonable time,” Nkwashu argued.

“The same thing cannot be said about the State. Even after they arrested them in November 2024, to date we are still being told that the investigation is still ongoing… If one has to look at the delays, it can only be attributed to one party,” the lawyer said.

With each postponement it feels as though the State is forfeiting precious territory in the matter. Although it remains confident in the merits of the case it has. DM