DA to grill Gayton McKenzie in committee tomorrow

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and officials from his department are expected to appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Tuesday, 25 August, to account for South Africa’s delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and related expenditure.

The meeting is scheduled for 17:30 and will be the second time the minister and department have appeared before the committee on the matter.

During the committee’s previous meeting on 4 August, Members raised concerns about the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s presentation and called for a more detailed account of the estimated R31 million spent on the World Cup delegation.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the department to provide detailed information on the 151-member delegation, including the qualifications, experience, roles and responsibilities of each member.

The party also wants a breakdown of the activities undertaken by the delegation, including meetings and engagements involving the minister and other members.

Among the information the DA is seeking is a detailed breakdown of the estimated R31 million expenditure, including costs attributed to individual delegation members, as well as details of sponsorships received.

The party is also calling for information on the return on investment from the expenditure, including measurable benefits for South African sport, arts, culture, tourism and related industries.

DA Sport, Arts and Culture spokesperson Leah Potgieter is expected to raise the questions on behalf of the party.

The committee’s meeting will provide the department and the minister with an opportunity to respond to the concerns raised during the previous hearing and provide further details on the World Cup delegation and its costs.

Team SA Wins 28 Medals at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Team South Africa wrapped up an impressive campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing with 28 medals – one more than the team achieved at the 2022 Birmingham Games.

The Games, held from 23 July to 2 August 2026, saw South Africa place 11th on the final medals table after securing seven gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals.

According to Team South Africa, swimmer Pieter Coetze was the country's standout performer, claiming three individual backstroke gold medals and two relay golds. Additional gold medals were won by Lara van Niekerk in swimming, Nathan Hendricks and Christian Sadie in para swimming, and Sinesipho Dlamini in athletics.

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie congratulated Team South Africa on their achievements, praising the athletes for representing the country with pride.

"This team went to Glasgow and did us proud. They gave it their all, and every single one of them comes home having helped to add another proud chapter to South Africa's sporting history," McKenzie said.

A large group of Team South Africa athletes returned to OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday morning. Although the Minister was unable to welcome them in person, he sent a message of congratulations through the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC).

McKenzie also encouraged young South Africans to draw inspiration from the team's success.

"To every young South African who watched these Games: these athletes were once just like you, and you can write your own names into the record books if seeing these achievements lit a fire in your belly," he said.

He also paid tribute to South Africa's para athletes, including Nathan Hendricks, Christian Sadie, Danika Vyncke and Masala Makatu, saying their achievements demonstrated that determination and resilience could overcome adversity while inspiring others.

"We salute you all as the heroes you are, and I look forward to being with the whole team again soon," McKenzie added.

The Minister confirmed that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will host an official reception for the full Team South Africa delegation once all athletes have returned from Glasgow.
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