The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a complaint with the Public Protector, calling for an investigation into Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie over allegations of unethical conduct, maladministration and abuse of power.
In a statement released on Wednesday, DA spokesperson on Sports, Arts and Culture Leah Potgieter said the complaint alleges that McKenzie may have breached the Executive Members' Ethics Act and the Executive Ethics Code. The party is also requesting an investigation into possible conflicts of interest and the alleged improper use of public funds.
The DA claims McKenzie appointed members of his own political party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), to the six-member adjudication panel responsible for allocating nearly R110 million through the 2025/26 Mzansi Golden Economy funding programme.
According to the DA, three of the six panel members were active members of the Patriotic Alliance at the time of their appointment, including the party's national spokesperson. The party alleges that McKenzie personally determined the panel's requirements and made the appointments.
The DA further claims there has been no full public account of how the R110 million in funding was distributed, alleging that the process resulted in some cultural festivals losing financial support.
The second part of the complaint relates to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's reported expenditure of nearly R31 million linked to the FIFA World Cup, including R7.9 million on official travel for an 18-member delegation.
The DA has questioned the travel costs, including the Minister's reported personal travel expenses of more than R1 million, and has called for the spending to be investigated.
The party says the Public Protector should determine whether the Minister's actions complied with applicable ethics rules and whether public funds were used appropriately.
McKenzie has not publicly responded to the latest complaint.
In a statement released on Wednesday, DA spokesperson on Sports, Arts and Culture Leah Potgieter said the complaint alleges that McKenzie may have breached the Executive Members' Ethics Act and the Executive Ethics Code. The party is also requesting an investigation into possible conflicts of interest and the alleged improper use of public funds.
The DA claims McKenzie appointed members of his own political party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), to the six-member adjudication panel responsible for allocating nearly R110 million through the 2025/26 Mzansi Golden Economy funding programme.
According to the DA, three of the six panel members were active members of the Patriotic Alliance at the time of their appointment, including the party's national spokesperson. The party alleges that McKenzie personally determined the panel's requirements and made the appointments.
The DA further claims there has been no full public account of how the R110 million in funding was distributed, alleging that the process resulted in some cultural festivals losing financial support.
The second part of the complaint relates to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's reported expenditure of nearly R31 million linked to the FIFA World Cup, including R7.9 million on official travel for an 18-member delegation.
The DA has questioned the travel costs, including the Minister's reported personal travel expenses of more than R1 million, and has called for the spending to be investigated.
The party says the Public Protector should determine whether the Minister's actions complied with applicable ethics rules and whether public funds were used appropriately.
McKenzie has not publicly responded to the latest complaint.