Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has defended spending almost a million Rand at the 2024 Paris Olympics in France held in July. This comes after he confirmed in Parliament that his department spent R215,976 for flights, R113,271 for accommodation and R454,005 for ground transport. 

JUSTIFIED 

In a written reply to chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Joe MacGluwa, McKenzie said: "Yes, I attended the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The total costs incurred by the department for my attendance at the Games amounted to R804,590.71. Defending the spending on X, McKenzie claimed to have attended six meetings in Paris before the start of the Olympics and went to the athletic village to greet South African athletes. "I attended the opening ceremony and watched the hockey, gymnastic and rugby sevens games. I opened Ekhaya village and watched the rest of the Olympic Games on TV. I left the day the Olympics started; I went for government meetings with ministers of other countries. I didn't attend the Olympics, only the opening and I came back to work," he wrote. He said he could have stayed longer in France, but he came back as he wanted to get to know his new portfolio. 

WHAT THE DEPARTMENT SPENT ON PARIS OLYMPICS

In the report by McKenzie, the department paid R27 892,000 for 146 athletes and a technical support team, while for officials, the department spent a total estimated R1 805 335.74. When McKenzie was appointed Minister after the general elections, he said he was spring cleaning his new house and doing audits of funds in his department. At the time, McKenzie said he was halting all superfan payments, including that of Mama Joy Chauke, after it was reported that the department paid R1.3 million to her and another superfan, Botha Msila, to travel to France for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. "How do we justify paying for fans? We shall no longer be paying for these trips and will use that money where it needs the most," he said at the time. ActionSA's Michael Beumont said McKenzie traded superfans for his own benefits.