A leaked dossier has raised questions about alleged political, professional, business and family links between sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie, his Patriotic Alliance (PA) and people appointed to Johannesburg municipal boards and national cultural institutions.
The dossier identifies individuals who served on the boards of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC), Metrobus and the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco), before or alongside appointments to bodies that fall under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Among them is the PA's top lawyer, Eugene Botha, who told IOL he resigned as chairperson of the National Arts Council (NAC) on Wednesday after the council proceeded with appointing a new chief executive and finance head, despite McKenzie asking it to hold off.
Botha said the council went ahead while its court case against McKenzie, who had attempted to dissolve it, remained unresolved.
"In my judgement, proceeding at that stage created avoidable governance and legal risks," Botha said.
"I resigned because I concluded that the council's working relationships had become untenable and that I could no longer contribute effectively. I stand by my decision.
"My concern throughout was that the NAC's interests should take precedence over every other consideration."
Four other council members, Simon Clarke, Siphosethu Mtamzeli, Tau Masemola and Charnie-Lee Adams-Kruger, resigned alongside Botha.
Botha, a PA member, said he had been open about his ties to McKenzie and the party.
"I have worked with McKenzie and am a member of the Patriotic Alliance," Botha said.
"My national executive committee membership ended at the end of August 2024, before the NAC posts were advertised if I recall correctly.
"I applied through the public process, was interviewed and was appointed with effect from January 1, 2025. My relationships were never concealed, and I submitted a written declaration of interests. Political association is not evidence that I disregarded those duties."
McKenzie dissolved the NAC council on May 26 over a labour dispute about performance bonuses and concerns about procurement spending.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria suspended the dissolution on July 31 and reinstated the council until McKenzie's decision could be reviewed.
Dossier alleges network of political and professional ties
The dossier alleges that political, professional, business and family connections run through the institutions it examined.
"The ministry of sport, arts and culture should really be renamed the ministry of cadre deployment," the dossier stated.
"While its track record on delivery is dismal, its record of employing Gayton McKenzie's chommies is next level. We haven't seen cadre deployment on this scale since the peak Zuma era."
The dossier argued that the appointments should be considered collectively rather than individually.
"These patterns become far more significant when viewed collectively rather than as isolated appointments," the dossier stated.
"The same network of individuals repeatedly appears across national cultural institutions, heritage bodies, municipal entities, public boards, audit committees, and oversight structures."
Gayton McKenzie
McKenzie is the PA's president and the minister of sport, arts and culture, whose portfolio includes the NAC and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).
The dossier placed appointments to these bodies within McKenzie's sphere of responsibility as minister.
In June 2025, when then DA MP Liam Jacobs questioned Botha's appointment in a parliamentary committee, McKenzie said he had broken no law.
"I haven't breached any act or law," McKenzie said. "Knowing someone does not equal conflict of interest."
McKenzie did not respond to a list of questions sent to his cellphone through a WhatsApp message.
Kenny Kunene
Kunene is the PA's deputy president and has served as Johannesburg's member of the mayoral committee for transport.
The dossier linked his municipal role to the MTC, Metrobus and the JRA. It also stated that the MTC had been moved from the City's economic development portfolio to transport.
"Through the strategic appointment of Patriotic Alliance members, associates and family members, the party appears to have established significant influence over the Johannesburg Roads Agency, Metrobus and the Metro Trading Company, which was transferred from the City's economic development portfolio to transport at the insistence of MMC Kenny Kunene," the dossier stated.
"Of the current MTC board members, Thedi Marrius Moropa, Makhate Jonas Nqakalatsane, Myrtle Charmaine Williams, Jacques Burt Watson, Maphale Victoria Mamogobo, Manene Tabane and Trevor Richard Goldsmith are all either PA members or linked to the party."
Kunene denied the allegations against his party, saying: “it is a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his party ahead of elections by the Democratic Alliance.”
Kunene said having party members on boards was not irregular, as other parties also had members serving on boards.
Simon Carl Clarke
The dossier identified Clarke as the PA's first treasurer and an associate of McKenzie and Kunene.
According to the dossier, Clarke chaired the JRA board, served as a non-executive director of Joshco, and sat on the NAC and the NFVF council.
"The JRA is chaired by Simon Carl Clarke, the PA's first treasurer and Kenny Kunene's former co-star on a reality show," the dossier stated.
"Simon Clarke, former reality television personality and associate of both Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene, served on the National Arts Council and National Film and Video Foundation while simultaneously serving as chairperson of the Johannesburg Roads Agency and previously as a non-executive director of Joshco."
McKenzie dissolved the NFVF council on September 23.
Asked about the council members' appointments and terms, the NFVF referred IOL to McKenzie's office.
"The appointment and or dissolution of the NFVF council is the sole prerogative of the minister of sport, arts and culture," NFVF communications officer Busisiwe Hoho said.
"The NFVF team, despite all the changes and challenges, remains committed to serving SA filmmakers with diligence."
Hoho said the NFVF was consulting its company secretary for the dates on which council members served.
Clarke did not respond to a request for comment sent through the party's media liaison officer and other intermediaries.
Eugene Botha
The dossier identified Botha as the PA's head of legal and McKenzie's personal lawyer. It also stated that Botha described himself online as McKenzie's strategic adviser.
McKenzie appointed Botha NAC chairperson from January 1, 2025.
The dossier claimed that the panel that interviewed candidates for the NAC council was chaired by Liesl Penniken, a PA member who has performed at party rallies.
"This is a PA cadre who was employed by the national ministry to elect a chairperson," the dossier stated. "She was selected to ensure that Eugene and others are elected to these boards, plain and simple."
Bakang Lethoko
The dossier identified Lethoko as the PA's head of marketing and McKenzie's former chief of staff.
She has also served as a member of the mayoral committee in Ekurhuleni and chaired the department's Formula One steering committee, which handled South Africa's attempt to return to the Formula One calendar.
Blu Label Telecoms, which is listed on the JSE, sold its subsidiary Ticketpro to an empowerment consortium linked to the PA this year.
The dossier stated that Lethoko became Ticketpro's sole director after its long-serving board resigned in July.
"Bakang Lethoko was notably Gayton's chief of staff in his ministerial office, and people linked to her serve on key institutions within the national department," the dossier stated.
"This does feel like a Trump-style power grab that was done in secret, and if not leaked would have happened without notice to the sports, events and festival sector."
Lethoko did not respond to a request for comment sent through the party's media liaison officer and other intermediaries.
Wilma Botha
The dossier identified Wilma Botha as Eugene Botha's mother.
She chaired the council of the uMsunduzi and Ncome museums and sat on the Luthuli Museum council, according to a June 2025 Luthuli Museum council newsletter.
The dossier stated that she also sat on the Robben Island Museum council.
"Eugene Botha's mother also sits on the Robben Island board," the dossier stated. "That is four board positions within the department of sport, arts and culture."
Wilma Botha did not respond to a request for comment sent through the party's media liaison officer and other intermediaries.
Shaudah Chetty
The dossier stated that Shaudah Chetty had been appointed to the board of Boxing SA and was briefly appointed chairperson of the NFVF council.
It claimed that Chetty also sat on the board of the Joshlin Smith Foundation, which it described as McKenzie's, and that one of her companies had received an emergency tender from the JRA.
"She was also briefly appointed chairperson of the National Film and Video Foundation, while one of her companies previously received an emergency tender from the JRA," the dossier stated.
"Chetty previously secured contracts from the Johannesburg Roads Agency, completing yet another link within this expanding network."
Chetty did not respond to a request for comment sent through the party's media liaison officer and other intermediaries.