Gayton McKenzie under fire over R31 million World Cup trip

Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has come under fire after details emerged regarding his department’s expenditure on a trip to the FIFA World Cup.

The total cost of the trip, which sent 151 participants to the host nations of Mexico and the United States, was reported last month at R31 million.

McKenzie was expected to account for this expenditure during a meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, and Culture on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.

However, McKenzie excused himself from the meeting shortly before questioning began at 18:00, returning at 20:30 after most of the questions had been asked.

National Assembly member Leah Potgieter, who is also a member of the Portfolio Committee, said two major red flags were identified regarding the department’s expenditure.

“The details that were tabled were so outrageous that they give the impression that R31 million was squandered by the minister and his insiders,” Potgieter said.

The first of these issues concerned the composition of the 18-member official delegation, with McKenzie and seven members of his ministerial office comprising 44% of the contingent.

McKenzie’s Ministerial Adviser Charles Cilliers, Chief of Staff Nontsikelelo Pule, Private and Appointment Secretary Gareth Brown, and spokesperson Stacey-Lee Khojane were among those named.

Other members of McKenzie’s office who attended the World Cup included Pogiso Mokwena, Yusuf Bodhania, and Melissa Davids.

The department was questioned why members of the ministerial office had been delegated responsibilities that would otherwise fall under departmental jurisdiction.

“For example, the Minister’s Private and Appointment Secretary was tasked with coordinating the Legends programme and cultural experiences,” Potgieter revealed.

“Officials were unable to explain what specialised skills these individuals possessed, why they were selected rather than relevant departmental professionals, or what measurable outcomes each produced.”

The costs of the trip

The second major red flag raised by the Portfolio Committee was the travel costs associated with the delegation that attended the World Cup.

Of the R31 million spent, R7.9 million went towards the flights, accommodation, transport, travel insurance, and daily allowances for McKenzie and the 18-member contingent.

The committee flagged the airfares of certain members of the delegation as causes for concern, with Potgieter describing them as “extraordinary”.

Airfare of R593,219 was attributed to McKenzie’s Chief of Staff, Nontsikelelo Pule, covering her travel costs to two cities.

R294,703 was attributed to the Department’s Event Management Specialist, Pogiso Mokwena, allowing her to visit four destinations.

Spokesperson Stacey-Lee Khojane’s airfare for one city came to R181,692, while Charles Cillier’s airfare across three cities totalled R375,642.

The airfare for other delegates was substantially lower, with Gareth Brown’s travel costs across Pachuca, Mexico City, and Monterrey totalling just R46,668.

“The department conceded that the travel agency had not properly reconciled the expenditure,” Potgieter said. “Certain amounts appeared to include personal travel unrelated to the World Cup.”

“Parliament still does not know what portion of these extraordinary amounts represents official travel and what relates to personal travel.”

The Committee questioned the department on whether the state had initially incurred any personal expenses, and on whether all of these amounts had been recovered or not.

The department was ordered by the committee to provide a fully audited financial statement reflecting the total World Cup expenditure.

This will include full invoices, itineraries, flight classes, and approval records for each member of the delegation, as well as confirmation that all personal travel expenses have been repaid.

Officials from the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture requested additional time to finalise and audit the figures, and were unable to provide complete reconciled breakdowns.