Former SAFA Technical Director Walter Steenbok has slammed the lack of respect for black professionals, making a bold claim that U20 AFCON-winning head coach Raymond Mdaka does not earn more than R25,000.
Steenbok resigned from his post in February 2025 having been appointed in September 2022. The former TD prioritised youth football and women’s football while also introducing coaching programmes and pushing for coaches to level up in terms of badges across the leagues in his tenure.
The esteemed scout revealed to Andile Ncube on Sports Night Live on Thursday that he wasn’t happy with his remuneration, lack of support from management, budget issues for the coaching education programme and challenges with national teams with regards to coaching staff and travel. He went a little bit deep about revealing what he earned at the FA.
“I think I need to say this, and I need to say this to our people, you see the respect for black professionals in South Africa, in black organizations, it’s a big, big, big problem,” said Steenbok.
“And I’m telling you this not even for the first time. My salary was the amount that Hugo Broos pays for his rent. If you check the organogram of FIFA the Technical Director is at the same level as the coach even though in terms of responsibilities, my responsibilities for the Association was on the football development.
“I want to go even further, coach Raymond Mdaka doesn’t earn more than R25, 000 and he’s on a one-year contract. Put him on the line. We fought for two years to get coach Raymond a contract. You can call coach Raymond, ask coach Raymond.
“So, what I’m trying to put up here is that the lack of respect for black professionals and the lack of respect for our own self, it’s unbelievable. We don’t respect black excellence, we don’t respect black professionals, and this is open, and I can give you evidence.
“Evidence I have in abundance that I keep all the time. But the point that I want to put and I’m doing this not only for me, but for many other coaches who are black in South Africa, where black organizations disrespect coaches all the time.
“So, these are the big problems. They even forgot to give me an exit interview. They sent a junior official to me [two weeks back] via WhatsApp to ask for an exit interview. I spent a month serving notice when I was still at work where I could have handed over the report and all of that, and also trying to tell them, this is where we are, and this is what needs to happen.
“And that did not happen. I asked for the executive committee to have an emergency meeting because I want to report on important things.”
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