Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has responded to questions raised in Parliament over nearly R31 million spent on South Africa’s engagement with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the expenditure was transparently disclosed in a parliamentary reply.
The spending has garnered significant attention in recent days after details contained in a parliamentary reply sparked questions from Members of Parliament and the media about the cost of the department’s World Cup-related programme.
In a statement issued, McKenzie said public debate had centred on the approximately R31 million figure, which he stressed had been disclosed transparently.
“Over the past week, questions have been raised in Parliament and in the media about spending connected to South Africa’s engagement with the FIFA World Cup 2026,” McKenzie said.
“Most of it centred on a figure of approximately R31 million, which is an amount that was openly disclosed in a parliamentary reply where there was nothing to hide.”
