Sports, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has detailed how his department spent its R31m budget to send a delegation to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.The response follows sharp criticism from the DA and ActionSA, who raised concerns over the allocation of funds and demanded a full breakdown of individual costs.McKenzie clarified that while 151 individuals participated in the delegation, the department directly funded only 75 people. The group included 18 officials (the minister, two support staff members, the director-general and a project team), 30 artists and cultural performers, and 27 members of the 2010 Bafana Bafana legends squad.The remaining 76 participants, comprising 47 lucky fans, along with 29 journalists, influencers and podcasters, were entirely funded by sponsors, not the department of sport, arts and culture.“A total of more than 150 people participated and were paid for. I did not approve this programme for myself. It was done for the country,” McKenzie said.According to the minister, the funds were distributed as follows:R7.86m: official travel expenses, including international flights, accommodation, local transport, travel insurance and daily allowances for government officials;R6.71m: funding for the Bafana Bafana 2010 legends team, who played a match against the Mexican legends team;R10m: programme activities, fan engagement, participation in Aldea Global, Atlanta partnership activations and legacy activities in Monterrey (which covered costs for 30 cultural artists and an implementing service provider);R3.36m: official hospitality venues in Atlanta and Monterrey; andR3.01m: purchase of 294 official Fifa match tickets across three host cities.McKenzie defended the expenditure, rejecting accusations that public funds were wasted.“Visitors walked away with a better understanding of our country, our people and what South Africa has to offer,” he said. “That is not wasteful spending, it is nation-building, economic promotion and creating opportunities for South Africans.“Spending a departmental budget on the department’s mandate is not, in itself, a wrongdoing. The Fifa World Cup was the single largest global sport, arts and culture platform of the year, and it comes only once every four years. Spending public money to position South Africa on such a platform is not a deviation from the department’s mandate, it is exactly our mandate.”McKenzie accused opposition parties of politicising the trip and trying to make what the department is mandated to spend sound sinister.“They have made it sound as though I spent R31m on myself, when my own costs totalled just over R1m, which included flying back to South Africa for Youth Day on June 16 midway through the group stages,” he said.The minister highlighted several personal cost-cutting measures during the trip, including using rideshare services, such as Uber and local taxis instead of hiring private drivers. He also clarified that his family accompanied him at their personal expense.McKenzie challenged critics to present concrete evidence if they believe any funds were misappropriated or improperly spent.He reiterated the trip was essential for placing South Africa on the global stage, especially given that the country does not always get regular exposure at events of this scale.McKenzie said the department is preparing a comprehensive close-out report, which will be finalised once all invoices, travel claims, sponsorship contributions and partner accounts are fully reconciled.“When it is ready, it will be tabled, and I remain available to account to the portfolio committee, as I always have been.”TimesLIVE