FIFA Warns SA Government

FIFA has written to the South African government warning them against
a judicial inquiry into the recent soccer match-fixing scandals,
saying the matter should rather be handled by the country's football
association.
Several of South Africa's warm-ups before they hosted the 2010 World
Cup were found to have been fixed, which led to the brief suspension
of senior South African Football Association (SAFA) officials,
including its president Kirsten Nematandani.
South Africa's Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
recommended a judicial commission of inquiry but FIFA warned them of
possible consequences should the government be seen to be intervening
in football matters.
South Africa's sports minister Fikile Mbalula told local media he
would travel to FIFA headquarters in Zurich next week to discuss the
issue with world football's governing body.
"SASCOC have made a recommendation to us that we must go ahead with a
judicial commission of inquiry into the matter," Mbalula said.
"Match-fixing is about fraud, corruption and mismanagement. There is a
rule of law in South Africa. Where there are suspicions, they must be
investigated. SAFA must understand that you can't be a referee and
player at the same time," he said.
SAFA vice president Danny Jordaan told Reuters his organisation had
already asked police to investigate the matter.
Nematandani and four other top officials were briefly suspended
following the handingover in December by FIFA to SAFA of a 500-page
investigation into the activities of Wilson Raj Perumal and his
Football 4U organisation.
But within a month their suspension was lifted on procedural grounds.
FIFA found the results of pre-World Cup warm-up matches against
Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala in the weeks leading up the
2010 finals were fixed.
Allegations of match-fixing were first revealed in the South African
press in July 2011 year but SAFA did not immediately act, only raising
the issue once FIFA had incorporated the country into a wider
investigation into Perumal's activities.