South African Sports Minister Faces Public Protector Investigation Over Jobs — for-Pals Scheme and FIFA Spending DATILINE: Johannesburg, South Africa – LEAD South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an investigation by the Public Protector into the country’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, who is accused of breaching the Executive Ethics Code.
The DA alleges that McKenzie operated a ‘jobs-for-pals’scheme, misappropriating nearly R110 million in public funds, and mismanaging the department’s controversial FIFA World Cup expenditure.
The DA lodged the complaint on Thursday, with DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture, Leah Potgieter, leading the submission.
The party accuses McKenzie of appointing members of his Patriotic Alliance (PA) party to positions within his department, which led to the perception that public funding could be influenced by political loyalty rather than merit. This includes the appointment of the 2025/26 Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) adjudication panel, which was responsible for distributing nearly R110 million in grants to artists, festivals, and cultural organizations.
The DA further alleges that McKenzie personally determined the criteria for the panel and made the appointments without conflict — of-interest vetting.
The party also wants the Public Protector to investigate appointments to entities such as the Robben Island Museum council, which the DA claims point to a broader pattern of politically connected appointments.
The investigation also includes McKenzie’s department’s controversial FIFA World Cup expenditure.
The DA claims that parliament has yet to receive complete records detailing the trip expenses, procurement processes, and how public money was spent.
The party argues that the spending was unjustifiable while sports federations continue to struggle financially. Officials commented on the matter.
The PA challenged the DA to produce evidence of wrongdoing and stated that McKenzie had already been cleared on previous public protector complaints and referrals to parliament’s Ethics Committee.
The DA’s request for an investigation by the Public Protector comes as the party seeks to hold the government accountable for transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. KICKER: The DA’s move to have the Public Protector investigate McKenzie over the jobs-for-pals scheme and FIFA spending highlights the party’s commitment to advocating for transparency and accountability in government.
The outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for McKenzie’s tenure as Sports, Arts and Culture Minister and the broader political landscape in South Africa.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Google News v2
