Gayton McKenzie does another runner from parliament – DA

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has again come under fire for leaving a parliamentary meeting before questions about the controversial R31 million FIFA World Cup expenditure were fully addressed.

McKenzie was expected to appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Tuesday, 25 August, to account for the department’s spending linked to South Africa’s 2026 World Cup delegation.

Instead, according to the Democratic Alliance, the minister left the meeting shortly before substantive questioning began at around 18:00.

He reportedly returned at approximately 20:30, after most committee members had already completed their questions.

Criticised Gayton McKenzie’s decision to leave

The DA has criticised the minister’s decision to leave, particularly because the meeting was focused on millions of rands in public expenditure.

DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture Leah Potgieter claimed McKenzie said he needed to attend an urgent presentation.

However, the party questioned whether his departure was connected to Patriotic Alliance political activity in George, citing posts on the minister’s social media account.

“Parliamentary accountability cannot be treated as less important than party-political activity,” Potgieter said.

Has left parliament before

The latest walkout comes after Gayton McKenzie faced criticism earlier this month when he left a Portfolio Committee meeting while MPs were beginning to question the department’s World Cup spending.

The minister has repeatedly defended the expenditure, saying the approximately R31 million was disclosed and related to a wider World Cup programme rather than simply his personal trip.

The renewed controversy comes as the department faces questions over how the money was spent and whether all expenses have been properly reconciled.

R593 000 airfare raises eyebrows

During Tuesday’s meeting, the committee heard details of several travel costs that the DA described as extraordinary.

The party claims that Nontsikelelo Pule’s airfare amounted to approximately R593 219 for travel to two cities.

Pogiso Mokwena’s airfare was reportedly around R294 703 for four destinations, while spokesperson Stacey-Lee Khojane’s airfare was approximately R181 692 for one city.

Charles Cilliers reportedly incurred airfare of approximately R375 642 across three cities.

The figures were questioned because other delegates allegedly travelled to several destinations at substantially lower costs.

Gareth Brown’s airfare for travel to Pachuca, Mexico City and Monterrey was reportedly approximately R46 668.

The department reportedly acknowledged that its travel agency had not properly reconciled the expenditure.

Questions over personal travel

Another issue raised during the meeting was the alleged inclusion of personal travel in some of the expenses.

The DA says officials could not provide parliament with a complete breakdown showing which costs were directly related to official World Cup duties and which may have involved private travel.

The party wants confirmation that any personal expenses initially paid by the State have been fully recovered.

The department has reportedly asked for additional time to complete the reconciliation and audit of the figures.

That has also raised questions about the status of the department’s close-out report, which was presented as a final position despite remaining subject to reconciliation.

Almost half of delegation from McKenzie’s office

The composition of the official delegation has also come under scrutiny.

According to the DA, eight of the 18 official delegates were members of Gayton McKenzie’s own office, representing approximately 44% of the delegation.

The party questioned why so many ministerial-office officials were required for the World Cup programme and why certain operational responsibilities were not handled by departmental specialists.

Among those named were ministerial adviser Charles Cilliers, Chief of Staff Nontsikelelo Pule, Pogiso Mokwena, Private and Appointment Secretary Gareth Brown, Yusuf Bodhania, Stacey-Lee Khojane and Melissa Davids.

The DA wants the department to explain the qualifications, responsibilities and measurable outputs of each official.

What happens next?

The DA is demanding a fully audited and reconciled financial statement covering the World Cup expenditure.

It also wants parliament to receive all invoices, itineraries, flight classes and approval records associated with the delegation, together with confirmation that any personal travel has been repaid.

The party argues that South Africans deserve to know exactly who travelled to the World Cup, what they did and what value was delivered for the money spent.

For McKenzie, the latest departure from parliament is likely to intensify scrutiny over the World Cup spending – particularly as MPs continue to demand answers on expenditure that remains subject to reconciliation.