South Africa: Minister Mckenzie's R31 Million FIFA World Cup 2026 Spending Spree

Over the past two months, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has repeatedly requested that Minister McKenzie disclose the exact expenses for the Minister's delegation to the FIFA World Cup 2026. In response to the DA's most recent written question about the delegation's expenditure, the Minister disclosed an estimated expenditure of R31 million in South African taxpayer money. These are merely estimates, and the Minister's evasiveness about specifics suggests something troubling.

Over the course of Minister McKenzie's tenure, a common theme has emerged in the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture: misleading promises, irrational decisions and a lack of accountability when the DA starts asking questions. South Africa's involvement in the World Cup might be over, but the final whistle for Minister McKenzie's spending spree is yet to blow. The DA will ensure that South Africans know the full amount spent by the Minister and his delegation, and that the Minister accounts to Parliament for the estimated R31 million spent.

The DA has twice requested detailed information from Minister McKenzie about the Department's delegation to the World Cup, including the delegation's members and the total budget. In both instances, the DA received little to no information about the delegation's members, received expenditures that did not align, and received no clear indication of how the Department financed the delegation, raising serious concerns about the lack of financial oversight under the Minister.

Initially, Minister McKenzie provided only a vague overview of the delegation's composition. However, after the DA's follow-up, the Minister partially disclosed that the Department had sent 20 artists and 18 Departmental officials as part of the delegation. The Department's officials included the Minister, two support staff, the Director-General, and a 14-member project team, at an estimated cost to the South African taxpayer of just under R8 million.

The specific number and names of the delegation members are still undisclosed, and the final cost has not yet been revealed. The DA will submit a follow-up question to Minister McKenzie requesting that all previously avoided details be shared, and that the Minister provide us with an exact date on which the information will be available. In addition, the DA will request that Minister McKenzie appear before the Portfolio Committee to account for his spending spree and provide Parliament with a breakdown of precise expenditure.

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