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100 signatures reached
To: SAFA National Exec Committee, SAFA sponsors, SAA, Sasol, Burger King, Nike, SAB, Avis, Computicket, Energade, Netcare, Siyaya Media Network, and SAFA partners, SABC, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Motsepe Foundation,
Tell SAFA sponsors to ensure Danny Jordaan is suspended over rape allegations
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In light of the allegations of rape against Danny Jordaan, if SAFA, its sponsors and partners take the issue of gender-based violence and sexual assault seriously, Danny Jordaan should be suspended without pay. No one should be able to hide behind a powerful organisation like SAFA, but this is exactly what is happening. SAFA’s NEC released a statement stating that they support their President 1. This is a disturbing move, and deeply hypocritical because SAFA also claims to want justice to take its course 2. SAFA must be held to account for protecting Danny Jordaan, and that’s why we are calling on SAFA’s sponsors and partners to demand that the SAFA NEC suspends Danny Jordaan as President, without pay. However, it’s critical that Banyana Banyana are not caught in the cross-fire for SAFA’s mistakes, which is why we are not calling on sponsors to pull out, but to use their power and hold SAFA to account.
Why is this important?
Women face huge barriers in pursuing justice for gender-based violence and sexual assault. For too long powerful men have used patriarchy and vast resources at their disposal to maintain a system where it is extremely difficult for women to come forward, and those who do often don’t see justice. Yet, day by day, this system which silences women is being exposed and dismantled.
Jennifer Ferguson has already faced challenges coming forward with her experiences of allegedly being raped by Danny Jordaan, including being told by a Police Constable “You can’t report this! Why has it taken so long?” 3. Jennifer Ferguson alleges that when she tried to find justice through mediation outside of court in 2017, Danny Jordaan’s Advocate contacted her child’s father and “...asked if he would be prepared to come forward, off the record, to disclose anything compromising [about] my past” 4. If Danny Jordaan is so innocent, why is SAFA, the organisation he is President of, defending him?
Sources
[1] http://ewn.co.za/2018/03/29/safa-to-support-danny-jordaan-in-jennifer-ferguson-rape-claim
[2] https://www.safa.net/2018/03/29/let-justice-take-course/
[3] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-03-26-jennifer-ferguson-why-ive-laid-a-rape-charge-against-danny-jordaan/#.Wr0Lp5NuY_U
[4] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-11-01-op-ed-why-danny-jordaans-response-to-rape-allegations-insults-us-all/#.Wr0LpJNuY_U