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S. African former minister vying to become FIFA president

Xinhua, October 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

South African former minister of human settlements and anti-apartheid stalwart, Tokyo Sexwale has thrown his hat in the ring for FIFA President to replace outgoing Sepp Blatter.

Sexwale confirmed to Xinhua on Monday that he wants to join the race, and has already met Monday's deadline for submission of candidature papers.

"I got the backing from the SA Football Association," the multi-million tycoon said.

"I'm now canvassing for the support of other 53 African FIFA members," Sexwale said.

Asked about his chances of landing the post, Sexwale, 62, said he "was optimistic and will not let the world down".

Sexwale, a former prison inmate with late president Nelson Mandela on Roben Island, is now a billionaire with business interests in the mining and energy sectors.

He is banking on his experience he got during the World Cup in 2010 when serving as a member of the organising committee. What also gives him the edge over other contestants is his mediation role between Israeli and Palestinian soccer federations. And also he's working on FIFA's anti-discrimination task force.

"If we don't stand up, if we allow racism to overpower sport, we will be doomed to existence in a hostile world," he warned FIFA last year.

Sexwale is contesting with the following candidates: Michel Platini, president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, ex-FIFA official Jerome Champagne and David Nakhid, a former player from Trinidad and Tobago.

"The brand of FIFA needs to be restored, after several scandals and allegation we heard about," said Sexwale.

For Sexwale to stand as a successful candidate, he has to be nominated by at least five national federations that have been active and played an important role in football for the past two or fives.

As the race to replace Blatter is gaining momentum, Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou, the interim FIFA president, has indicated that he will not contest in the election. Liberian FA President Musa Bility, who had indicated his interest to contest, failed to garner the support of the rest of Africa.

And the already tainted, Blatter and Platini, are not contesting after being suspended for 90 days by FIFA's ethics committee over a payment of 2-million Swiss francs (about two million US dollars) made to Platini in 2011. That is likely to stifle Platini's opportunity of contesting for president.

One of the South African soccer stars, Titus Mandla said he would be happy if Sexwale is elected as FIFA's next president.

"It will be the best thing to happen to Africa. It is high time that the post is filled with a black African," Mandla said.

Sexwale's political fortunes nosed dived in 2001 when he was named as one of the people spear-heading the removal of former president Thabo Mbeki from power. He was later exonerated.

A decade later, his political clout took another knock: he failed to win votes to be the ruling African National Congress (ANC) deputy president at the ANC elective conference.

In 2013, President Jacob Zuma fired him as minister of human settlements, and ever since Sexwale has been taking a low profile in publics. Endit