Minister Gayton McKenzie is not having a good day.
Not only did Bafana Bafana lose to Mexico last night in a 2-0 defeat after a 16-year absence from a World Cup, but now he is facing mounting backlash over an estimated R19.2 million his Department of Sports, Arts and Culture spent to take a delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Leah Potgieter initially raised alarms a few days ago, stating the trip could rally up to a R19.2 million expenditure. And last night, in a tongue-in-cheek post on her social media with a photo of her watching the 2026 Fifa World Cup on her tablet, she said: “Bafana on the tablet. Parliament in person.Turns out you can support the boys without taking a month-long taxpayer-funded holiday.”
McKenzie has however vigorously defended the inclusion of 20 fans and 20 artists on the trip to watch the World Cup, explaining that sport and music go hand in hand. Not only that, but after the devastating defeat last night, he gave optimum support to the country’s soccer team saying he remains “highly positive”, that Bafana Bafana would bounce back and “go to the second round”.
The delegation in Mexico last night watched as Bafana played their opening group-stage match against co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
McKenzie has reportedly said South African creatives deserve an international platform rather than allowing other nations to dominate cultural spaces at the tournament.
In response to accountability demands from opposition MP Songezo Zibi, McKenzie reportedly clarified that the trip is split across two separate funding streams to minimise the direct impact on taxpayers:
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The fans (privately funded): The travel package for the 20 selected “Lucky Fans” is funded entirely by corporate sponsorships from companies including Betway, Cell C, HONOR Technologies Africa and Old School. This package covers flights, accommodation, match tickets and ground transport.
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The artists (state funded): The 20 artists and departmental officials are funded through the department’s official FIFA World Cup cultural programme budget to promote local creative industries. McKenzie noted that exact per-person costs are still being finalised due to fluid logistics.
The sponsored fans, artists and department officials arrived ahead of the kickoff to support the national team. Additionally, a special contingent of 2010 Bafana Bafana legends, who travelled for a promotional rematch against Mexican legends, are actually scheduled to fly back to South Africa today, June 12, while the remaining support group expands to follow the team’s upcoming fixtures.
