South Africans do not trust the government and its agencies to act responsibly with public funds after years of grift. Which is why, even if the Tourism SA and Tottenham Hotspur deal has some value, it shouldn't go ahead at this time.

There are two irrefutable truths in global sport -- football at the top end is expensive, and at the same time, football is the most popular sport on the planet.

Which makes it the perfect Petri dish for hubris and avarice to spawn in. Throw in a country that spends billions on projects that all too often wither on the vine while a few cadres get rich, and it's no wonder there was a huge outcry this week when Daily Maverick revealed another potentially wasteful and possibly corrupt business deal.

SA Tourism, the government's marketing arm, was (and still is, apparently) set to spend £42.5-million, or close to R1-billion, to buy space on north London-based Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur's jersey.

A logo on the sleeves of Spurs jerseys worn by the likes of global stars Harry Kane and Son Heung-min could carry the slogan "Visit South Africa". Or at least, some derivative of this mundane phrase that...