The Democratic Alliance will on Thursday submit a dossier of evidence to the Public Protector calling for a full-scale investigation into Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie over alleged multiple breaches of his oath of office and the law.
The DA claims McKenzie presided over a jobs-for-pals scheme benefitting his Patriotic Alliance party and the misappropriation of nearly R110 million in public money through the Mzansi Golden Economy grants programme.
The opposition party will also refer McKenzie’s FIFA World Cup trips to the Public Protector for investigation.
DA spokesperson for Sport, Arts and Culture Leah Potgieter and her deputy Joe McGluwa will lead the submission on Thursday.
The move comes amid months of parliamentary tension between the DA and McKenzie over transparency and accountability in his department. The DA has repeatedly accused the minister of failing to appear before parliament to explain the administration of R109 905 992 in Mzansi Golden Economy grants.
Critics have alleged the funding process lacked transparency and that adjudication panels were packed with Patriotic Alliance members, including the minister’s own spokesperson and former party councillors.
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McKenzie has faced separate scrutiny over his department’s R31 million expenditure on a delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The minister defended the spending in July, stating his personal travel costs totalled just over R1 million for the five-week period and that he declined subsistence allowances valued at R55 000.
In January, the DA filed a separate Public Protector complaint against McKenzie over his decision to withdraw South Africa’s official submission to the 2026 Venice Biennale, alleging maladministration and abuse of power.
McKenzie has also faced scrutiny over appointments to department entities. He defended appointing Patriotic Alliance members to boards, stating there is no law preventing party members from serving on boards within his ministry.
The Public Protector’s office will now determine whether to accept the DA’s complaint and launch a formal investigation into the allegations.
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