Gayton McKenzie faces Public Protector complaint

The Democratic Alliance has filed a complaint with the Public Protector against Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie.

It wants an investigation into whether McKenzie has violated his oath of office as a Cabinet Minister, benefiting his insider circle and the Patriotic Alliance party.

The DA’s complaint concerns alleged breaches of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act and the Executive Ethics Code.

There are also allegations of maladministration, abuse of power, and a possible conflict between the Minister’s official responsibilities and his party-political interests.

The first complaint from the Democratic Alliance concerns McKenzie’s appointment of key positions to PA cadres.

It focuses on McKenzie’s appointment of the 2025/26 Mzansi Golden Economy adjudication panel of six members.

These members included Steve Motale, Vernon Vraagom, and Francisco Tejada, who were identified as active members of the Patriotic Alliance at the time.

“Half of the panel responsible for allocating nearly R110 million in public funding, therefore, consisted of members of the Minister’s own political party,” the DA said.

“McKenzie’s Deputy Minister and the Department’s Director General have confirmed that he personally set the requirements for the panel and made the appointments.”

“This means that the Minister determined the rules, selected the panel and appointed active members of his own political party.”

The R110 million fund was established on paper to create opportunities for artists and grow the creative economy.

Leah Potgieter, the DA’s Spokesperson on Sports, Arts and Culture, said that there was no full account of where this R110 million went.

“This process stripped some of South Africa’s most important cultural festivals of their funding,” Potgieter said.

Gayton McKenzie’s R31 million FIFA World Cup trip

The second major part of our complaint concerns Minister Gayton McKenzie’s R31 million FIFA World Cup trip. It included R7.9 million for official travel.

“This is a highly suspicious amount to have spent on just 18 people travelling from South Africa to the Americas on one trip,” Potgieter said.

“The Minister’s personal travel costs alone amounted to more than R1 million for the FIFA World Cup. This must be investigated.”

She said that while McKenzie spent R31 million on going to the World Cup, South African sporting federations are struggling to survive.

“Athletes hold fundraisers to buy plane tickets while the Minister presided over a R31 million World Cup bonanza.”

Potgieter argued that the pattern from Gayton McKenzie as Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture was clear.

“He controls the criteria, PA members and political associates are appointed, and public money is allocated,” she said.

“The Parliament then asks questions, the Minister evades these questions, delays the answers, or refuses to provide the complete records.”

“The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture does not belong to Gayton McKenzie. The Public Protector is now empowered to investigate.”