Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has filed a complaint with the Public Protector against Sports, Arts, Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie and his Patriotic Alliance (PA), accusing them of a jobs-for-pals scheme involving millions of rand.
The DA filed the complaint on Thursday, 23 July 2026, in which it alleged Sports Minister McKenzie abused his office by allegedly appointing a “hand‑picked” panel with members from his own party, the PA, to allocate nearly R110 million in public funds.
The DA alleges this constitutes a jobs‑for‑pals scheme and a breach of the Executive Ethics Code
The DA submitted a dossier of “evidence” to the Public Protector supporting a full-scale investigation into allegations against Minister McKenzie for alleged multiple breaches of his oath of office and the law.
“The allegations in question concern a jobs-for-pals scheme benefitting the Patriotic Alliance, and the misappropriation of nearly R110 million in public money,” the DA said.
“McKenzie’s FIFA World Cup trips will be referred as well.”
The Sports Minister had previously explained how the contested nearly R31 million was spent during the just-ended FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Preempting the DA move, the PA said it “notes the Democratic Alliance’s announcement that it intends submitting yet another complaint to the Public Protector against Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie.”
“As with every previous attempt, this one is not built on evidence – it is built on headlines.
“The DA has once again thrown a bundle of recycled allegations at the wall in the hope that some of the mud will stick.
“It has not stuck before, and it will not stick now. Because there is nothing there.
“Minister McKenzie has answered every single question put to him in Parliament on these matters already.”
