Picture: Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie

By AGISANANG SCUFF

2 August 2026 – The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on 4 August 2026, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie and his department, will account to Parliament on its FIFA World Cup 2026 delegation and related expenses. The DA alleges that, as McKeinzie and his department failed to provide proper, accountable responses to questions about the spending extravaganza, they have requested that Minister and his department come prepared for tough questions and avoid the lack of transparency.

DA Member of Parliament (MP) and spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture, Leah Potgieter said the DA has pre-emptively written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, demanding that the Minister and the Department prepare and present the full names, relevant qualifications and experience of each of the 151 delegation members that warranted their inclusion. Potgieter said this includes the specific role and responsibilities of each of the 151 delegation members.

She further said McKenzie should provide a clear account of what each of the 151 delegation members did during the World Cup. Potgieter added that they also need a detailed account of the meetings and engagements held by the Minister and each of the 151 delegation members.

“A detailed breakdown of the estimated R31 million expenditures, including the cost attributable to each of the 151 delegation members. A detailed breakdown of all sponsorships received and a detailed account of the return on investment achieved from the estimated R31 million expenditures, including the measurable benefits secured for South African sport, arts, culture, tourism, or related industries.

“The DA will hold McKenzie to account for each rand spent at the World Cup,” she said.

However, McKenzie said over the past week, questions have been raised in Parliament and in the media about spending connected to South Africa’s engagement with the FIFA World Cup 2026, most of it centred on a figure of approximately R31 million, which is an amount that was openly disclosed in a parliamentary reply, where there was nothing to hide.

“Official trips and travel-related expenditure of the Minister and two support staff, Director-General, and Project Team (14 members) amount to R7 865 134.97, South Africa 2010 Legends Exhibition Match (involving 27 people in total) equal to R6 706 925.00.

“The suites expenditure equal to R3 361 845.18, spectator match tickets amount to R3 011 465.00 and programme activities linked to fan engagement, Aldea Global participation, Atlanta partnership activations, monterrey and legacy activities (including the costs of 30 artists and cultural participants, and the project delivery

team from a service provider) equals to R10 000 000.00. The total is R30 945 370.15,” he said.

McKenzie said spending a budget is not a scandal. He said spending a departmental budget on the department’s mandate is not, in itself, a wrongdoing.

“The FIFA World Cup was the single largest global sport, arts and culture platform of the year and it comes only every four years. Spending public money to position South Africa on such a platform is not a deviation from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) mandate – it is exactly the DSAC mandate.

“If any person believes money was improperly allocated, appropriated, or spent, or that I personally benefited in a corrupt manner, I invite them to bring that evidence forward to Parliament, the Auditor-General, or to any law enforcement body with the power to investigate it,” said McKenzie.

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