The cash-strapped SA Football Association (Safa) was billed R2.1m in payment to five members of the electoral commission which conducted their elections last year.
The electoral committee was chaired by senior counsel McCaps Motimele with Ntambi Ravele as the deputy chairperson.
Mthobi Tyamzashe, Abel Ramolotja and Bongani Zondi completed the five-member team.
The Sunday Times can reveal that each commission member charged R45,000 a day for their services.
BREAKDOWN OF THE BILL
• Motimele billed R630,000 for 14 days' work
• Ravele R315,000 for seven days,
• Ramolotja R405,000 for nine days
• Tyamzashe R495,000 for 11 days
• Zondi billed R270,000 for six days
Tyamzashe and Zondi expected to do the electoral committee work for free but some Safa officials felt it would have been unprincipled not to pay them.
The five members were appointed to replace the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) which had previously performed the role of overseeing the Safa elections free of charge.
"The IEC used to perform the service for free. This time we were forced to obtain the services of these people for well over two million.
"It appears that they haven't paid fully. That exorbitant amount dented the coffers of an already struggling organisation."
This revelation forms part of what has been described as wasteful expenditure and bad governance at the football governing body in the country.
The sources, who spoke to the Sunday Times anonymously for fear of victimisation, told a tale of bad transactions for an organisation that is not cash flush.
"Some of the costs included the hiring of chartered flights for Bafana Bafana, an exercise which quadrupled the travel costs of the team," said one insider.
"Add to the above the unscheduled costs of R396,000 in daily allowances for heads of delegation, almost R3m for Banyana Banyana's participation in the Cyprus Cup, the demand of the [former Banyana coach Vera Pauw] to bring a foreign assistant coach at a cost of R1.4m."
Sunday Times sister publication Sunday World reported in March that Motimele had applied for judgment at the Johannesburg High Court after Safa failed to pay him more than R600,000 for legal services.
In court papers Motimele said Safa only paid him R300,000 on September 5, leaving an outstanding amount of R683,250.
Motimele did not respond to calls by the Sunday Times.
When the other committee members were contacted, they refused to divulge whether they have been paid.
The electoral committee had effectively blackmailed Safa into paying an exorbitant amount of over two million for their services
"I can't comment on the payment, whether we were paid or not.
"I'm not at liberty to comment on the figure.
"I think it's something that if we were to discuss anything it should be from Safa's side," said Ravele.
"There are no legal steps I've taken against Safa regarding this matter.
"I'm insisting that you talk to them about it," she said.
Tyamzashe sang a similar tune.
"Safa are the ones who must tell you more on this, I'm not confirming nor denying that I was paid. Also the payment was not the same," said Tyamzashe. "It couldn't have been the same for the chair of the electoral committee and ordinary members for instance, but I can't tell you how much I was paid or charged Safa for my services.
"As I said, Safa are best placed to comment because this was their election."
WASTEFUL AND FRUITLESS EXPENDITURE
Motimele was initially excluded from the committee because of his "exorbitant fee" request. But Ravele insisted that he be reappointed to the committee.
It amounted to wasteful and fruitless expenditure which Safa was forced to entertain, sources insist, on the instruction of its president Danny Jordaan.
"The electoral committee had effectively blackmailed Safa into paying an exorbitant amount of over two million for their services. "This expense was not included in the 2017-18 budget."
Safa acting CE Russell Paul said: "We have previously engaged the members on their payment and have a payment plan in place with them.
"As for the amounts they were paid, this is a private matter with them and as such confidential between the parties and at this stage I am not at liberty to disclose any amounts."
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