Gayton McKenzie under siege for spending R113 million on glamour events while South African athletes must pay for own flights and accommodation

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, spent R113 million on two glamour events while South African national athletes must pay their own way.

This, many stakeholders said, was unacceptable amidst revelations that national athletes have to pay for their own flights and accommodation for events.

In June 2026, the Minister provided details about his 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup trip, which cost R31 million.

These costs included R7.9 million for official travel, R6.7 million for a legends exhibition match, R3.4 million for suites, R3 million for tickets, and R10 million for activities.

Another expense which raised eyebrows was the LIV Golf Event in South Africa, for which McKenzie said they paid an R82 million licence fee.

He explained that the R82.2 million licence fee was a contractual payment for the right to host the event in South Africa.

What is striking about this deal is that LIV Golf is shutting down and moving toward an orderly wind-down and liquidation after a five-year run.

Investigative sports journalist Graeme Joffe slammed McKenzie’s allocation of public funds, as it does not support athletes.

“He spent R82 million on a bankrupt golf tour, R31 million at the FIFA World Cup and R20 million on non-existent VAR instead of putting the funds into SA sport,” Joffe said.

He argued that the combined R133 million could have been better spent on athletes and grassroots development.

“The administration of South African sport is a tragic mess of systemic corruption from the Sports Ministry down to SASCOC and the majority of the federations,” he said.

“I used to think Fikile Mbalula was the most arrogant and unethical Sports Minister ever in South Africa, but Gayton McKenzie is now right up there.”

Swimming South Africa problems

The criticism of Gayton McKenzie’s spending comes amidst serious problems at Swimming South Africa.

The organisation informed team members that they will have to pay R55,000 for their flights and accommodation for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships.

It added that all team members must apply for their own visas and domestic flights and cover the associated costs.

Shortly after this news broke, Olympic gold medalist Tatjana Smith announced that she will, in future, compete for the Netherlands instead of South Africa.

World Aquatics has confirmed that Smith has changed her sporting nationality from South Africa to the Netherlands.

Smith explained that the change comes as she sets her sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

She said that she looks forward to joining the Dutch team at international competitions and training camps.

McKenzie responded to this news, saying he is not to blame for Smith’s decision or the problems at Swimming South Africa.

McKenzie said the public needs to understand how sport is run in South Africa before attacking him.

“National federations are deliberately independent of government. They are governed by their own boards and answer to their international bodies,” he said.

Where the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture funds a federation, the federation must account for that funding.

“However, the Department does not run federations, and it cannot cover all their costs. That includes the high cost of competing internationally,” he said.

Freedom Front Plus slams Gayton McKenzie

Heloïse Denner, a Freedom Front Plus MP and chief spokesperson for sport, said that McKenzie’s excuses are not good enough.

“Minister Gayton McKenzie’s attempt to wash his hands of the crisis at Swimming South Africa is a weak attempt to evade his responsibilities,” she said.

“The Minister is legally empowered, and even obligated, to intervene when sporting bodies malfunction.”

“He must also intervene when public funds are misused, and when national sports are brought into disrepute to the detriment of athletes.”

Denner advised the minister to obtain a legal opinion on the matter so that he is thereby compelled to act.

“We will also submit written parliamentary questions to the minister’s office regarding the dispute in terms of Section 13 of the National Sport and Recreation Act,” she said.

The National Sport and Recreation Act and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) provide mechanisms and prescripts for ministerial intervention.

These interventions include withdrawing recognition from sporting bodies and withholding funding when these organisations perform poorly and fail athletes.

“It is important that the minister uses his statutory powers to enforce financial accountability and to work together with World Aquatics’ existing investigative team,” she said.

Denner and the Freedom Front Plus wrote a letter to the Minister regarding the issue, which is provided in full below.

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Letter from the Freedom Front Plus to Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie

Urgent intervention required: Governance and accountability failures at Swimming South Africa (SSA)

I am writing to you with the utmost concern regarding the state of Swimming South Africa (SSA) and the circumstances surrounding Tatjana Smith’s decision to swim under the flag of the Netherlands going forward, rather than representing South Africa in future events.

It is particularly distressing that one of South Africa’s most decorated athletes feels that she has no future in the country she has represented with such distinction.

Reports of unpaid prize money, athletes being expected to fund their own participation in international competitions, and serious governance issues within SSA raise important questions about the federation’s governance and accountability.

While I recognise that national sport federations enjoy a measure of independence, this cannot mean that they are above accountability, especially when they receive state funding.

Such funding comes from public sources and must be subject to proper oversight and accountability.

The department is responsible for ensuring that funds allocated to federations are used for their intended purposes and in accordance with the conditions attached thereto. In the case of SSA, it appears clear that funding is not reaching the athletes.

The National Sport and Recreation Act 110 of 1998, as amended by the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Act 18 of 2007, makes provision for ministerial intervention in certain circumstances.

In terms of section 13, the minister may intervene in a dispute, alleged mismanagement, or related matters that are likely to bring a sport into disrepute. This may include referring the matter to mediation or issuing a directive.

Should a federation fail to comply with the mediator’s decision or the minister’s directive, the Act provides for funding to be withheld and the federation’s recognition to be withdrawn, subject to the prescribed procedures.

Section 10 also deals with the funding of sport and recreation and requires acceptable administrative standards from recipients of state funding, and makes provision for funding restrictions where federations misuse state funding or fail to meet certain development requirements.

Furthermore, the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999 places obligations on departmental accounting officers to ensure that public funds transferred to other entities are subject to appropriate financial management requirements and conditions.

It also requires compliance with those conditions and provides for oversight over how such funds are utilised.

The Treasury Regulations further provide for the monitoring of transfers and subsidies, including reporting, audits, and performance reviews, and allow for funding to be withheld in certain circumstances where conditions are not met or agreed objectives are not achieved.

Section 14 of the National Sport and Recreation Act also empowers the Minister to promulgate regulations on matters including the funding and recognition of sport bodies. This includes high-performance sport, which is particularly applicable to swimming as an Olympic sport.

I also wish to establish whether the department has received any formal written notices from Swimming South Africa or the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) regarding disputes within the federation relating to Tatjana Smith, as stipulated in section 13 of the Act. If such notices have been received, I would appreciate any information you can provide regarding the steps taken in response thereto.

In light of these provisions, I make an urgent appeal to you to seek legal advice on the full extent of your powers and responsibilities, as well as all available avenues to address the situation at SSA.

I would further appreciate it if your department could determine the extent of state funding allocated to SSA, review the conditions attached to that funding, and establish whether the federation has complied with its obligations.

The department should also consider whether formal intervention in terms of section 13 is warranted, in accordance with the requirements set out in the Act.

It is important that those in the management of SSA, who are responsible for the shameful violation of our top swimming athletes’ rights and welfare to the point where they can no longer properly compete under our proud national flag, are held accountable and dealt with accordingly.

By demonstrating decisive action in this matter, you will prove your commitment to protecting South African athletes and holding sport federations accountable.

As the custodian of South Africa’s sport, arts, and culture through the department under your leadership, you have the opportunity to show the public that such failures will not be tolerated on your watch.

Allowing the situation to continue will undermine public trust in your leadership. It is therefore critical that you act to strengthen public confidence and demonstrate that the interests of athletes come first.

South Africa should not lose its top athletes due to failures within the very structures that are supposed to support them.

I would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and would be grateful if you could let me know what steps you intend to take in response hereto.

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