South Africa rejects FIFA claim of World Cup bribe

Mar 21, 2016 South Africa’s sports Minister Fikile Mbalula recently rejected FIFA’s claim that a $10-million bribe was paid by the country to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup.

Speaking at a news conference in Cape Town, Mbalula said:

“We have maintained our position that when we supported the money in the diaspora and the disbursement of that 10 million US dollars, it was not for bribery. It was above board, it was not done underground and that is the first point we need to clear,”

He went on to insist that FIFA must retract its statement.

“We gave this money and that supported SAFA (South African Football Association) for the disbursement of the resources on the basis that this money was for development and the fact that at a later stage it came to our attention that it was not used for its intended purposes and in fact it was embezzled and misused and subjected to fraudulent…. it never even reached its destination, it is something that we frown at,”