South African Athletes Forced To Pay Their Own Way While McKenzie Blows R113 Million On Two Events

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is facing criticism over reported public spending of about R113 million on two high-profile sporting events, as some South African athletes are being asked to cover their own international travel and accommodation.

The figure combines R82.2 million paid for the right to host a LIV Golf event in South Africa and about R31 million spent on a ministerial trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. McKenzie has described the golf payment as a contractual licence fee. The World Cup trip costs included official travel, tickets, accommodation and other activities, according to figures reported by Newsday.

The spending has drawn renewed attention after Swimming South Africa reportedly told selected swimmers they would need to pay R55,000 for flights and accommodation to attend the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Beijing. Athletes were also told they would need to arrange visas and domestic flights themselves.

The contrast has prompted criticism from sports stakeholders, who argue that public funds should prioritise athletes and grassroots development. Investigative sports journalist Graeme Joffe criticised the allocations and argued that the money could have supported athletes. Those comments are his assessment, not an official audit finding.

McKenzie has said national federations are independent of government and are managed by their own boards under the rules of their international governing bodies. He has argued that the department does not run those organisations or cover all their expenses, though federations receiving public funding are expected to account for it.

That division of responsibility is central to the debate. While Swimming South Africa manages its team and competition arrangements, critics say the minister and department still have oversight responsibilities where public funding and the interests of national athletes are involved. The Freedom Front Plus has argued that the minister should use his statutory powers when sporting bodies fail athletes, and says it plans to raise questions in Parliament.

The pressure on the department comes amid broader concerns about governance in South African sport. Swimming South Africa has faced criticism over prize money and administration, while selected athletes in other sports have also reportedly encountered funding difficulties. ActionSA said in July that Athletics South Africa had not received grants it expected, leaving young athletes due to compete at the U20 World Athletics Championships facing travel costs.

The R113 million figure represents spending on two separate events; it does not establish that the expenditure was unlawful or that funds were directly diverted from athlete support. The dispute is instead about priorities, accountability and whether government support is reaching competitors who represent the country.

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