Elfa suspension lifted

By Karriem Martheze

EAST LONDON -- The five-year suspension imposed on Elfa by its provincial body, Fab, has been set aside by an appeal board appointed by the South African Football Association in Johannesburg last night.

Elfa was fined R1000 "for acting wrongfully in staging the Easter tournament without permission from their mother body". R500 is suspended for the 1998/99 season. Elfa, they say, should have turned to Safa for help at the time.

Be that as it may, the appeal board found the punishment on Elfa and its players much too severe.

Spokesman for the appeal board, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, said: "The appeal board found the five-year suspension was shockingly severe and grossly unreasonable and hope that the personality clashes which are detrimental to the province, will stop because no one is more important than the game of soccer."

"We found that Fab acted unconstitutionally by failing to appoint a disciplinary committee," Chief Nonkonyana explained.

"Fab acted as the complainant, the prosecutor and the judge."

The appeal board also noted their disappointment with soccer officials on the Border who were twice requested by Safa to get their act together -- and did not, despite pledges to do so.

Chief Nonkoyana said even the intervention from the Border National Sports Congress (NSC) proved futile.