SMOOTH OPERATOR: Gayton Mckenzie’s gift of the gab is both his blessing and his curse

In politics, the gift of the gab is a priceless asset. In South African politics, one of the most verbally gifted contributors is Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie. Although his verbal gymnastics have put him in positions of power, they also tend to land him in awkward spots.

This is because McKenzie is often guilty of putting the cart before the horse, or announcing major events before official confirmation. From South Africa’s hosting of Formula 1 to the introduction of the video assistant referee (VAR) in South African soccer, and so much more. McKenzie tells the masses what they want to hear, even when he is not ready to back it up.

He has attended multiple sporting events. Hugging sports stars and grabbing selfies with them projects the image of the nation’s No 1 fan, and of a leader who will get things done for athletes. But so far, this has not materialised.

The minister’s promises go beyond the sports realm, too. In March, the PA leader declared that Joshlin Smith (6) was alive. He said he would prove it. Seven months later, this information remains absent.

Joshlin disappeared from her Middelpos home in the Northern Cape in February 2024. She, or her remains, has yet to be found. In 2025, Joshlin’s mother, Kelly Smith, and two others were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and child trafficking regarding the little girl’s disappearance.

High-rolling, not bank-rolling

The 2024 Olympic Games rolled around less than a month after McKenzie’s appointment. He attended the Paris event and was criticised for the R800,000 cost of the trip.

But his fast-talking came back to bite him when he promised South African javelin thrower Jo-Ané du Plessis (née van Dyk) a full reimbursement of the money she and her parents had spent in her preparations for the Games.

This came after the silver medallist was funded by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee before the event. McKenzie later backtracked, saying there had been a “miscommunication” and he would not reimburse Du Plessis or her parents. His tenure began with big promises – and their emptiness has been consistent so far.

McKenzie faced more scrutiny after revealing that his department had spent about R31-­million on various programmes centred on the 2026 Fifa World Cup. He defended the expenditure, arguing that promoting South Africa on a global sporting platform falls squarely in the department’s mandate and draws long-term economic and nation-branding value similar to the legacy of the 2010 World Cup.

He was again criticised in recent weeks when Rwanda was awarded Formula 1 hosting rights for 10 years, beginning in the early 2030s. McKenzie had said South Africa would be the first African country to host the event since 1993, when it was held in Kyalami, in Joburg.

Not giving an inch

Since Rwanda’s F1 success, he has doubled down on his assertions. At a recent media briefing, he argued that Africa should not be restricted to a single Grand Prix, pointing out that regions like Europe and the Middle East host multiple races.

“I want to congratulate Rwanda for being awarded a spot on the F1 calendar,” he said. “I’ve seen many comments from people saying South Africa was beaten. I’d like to address that. This is not a raffle. Rwanda applied years before I even thought I’d be a minister of sport. Rwanda has done the work.

“When I was appointed, I followed what F1 wanted us to do. Now they say Rwanda has beaten us. But Rwanda has not beaten us. As South Africa we are still looking at 2028/2029,” he added. “I can’t argue with people who have a minimalist mindset, a defeatist mindset, who say Africa must only get one Formula 1 race while the Middle East has four races, the US has three and Europe has nine. Now you expect Africa to get one. What type of thinking is that?”

At the same press conference, McKenzie said he was not the one responsible for the delay in the implementation of VAR in South African soccer. Initially, he had promised that it would be implemented in April 2025. He blamed the South African Football Association (Safa) for the delay, but did give an update on the introduction of the technology.

“My love for football did not start when I became the minister of sport, arts and culture. In fact, I’ve been watching less football since I became a minister. I used to travel the world and go watch the Champions League final because I love football. So, it bothered me that we don’t have VAR,” McKenzie claimed.

“I asked the Treasury for money for VAR [after meeting with Safa, who said it could not afford to implement it]. So, I’ve been fighting… I gave the money to the Safa chief executive [Lydia Monyepao] and I’m now waiting for VAR.

“There’s nothing more I can do, but people are blaming me. You are blaming the guy that brought VAR. I put it on the table. That VAR must be called McKenzie when it comes because I have fought tooth and nail for it.”

Giving and taking

In the same media briefing, Monyepao outlined several reasons the implementation was taking longer than anticipated. There were a number of boxes that the federation still had to tick to get approval from Fifa to implement the technology, she said.

Monyepao highlighted the need for sustainable long-term funding, camera coverage, reliable connectivity for remote VAR operations, compatibility with existing broad­cast systems and equipment replacement.

In August, McKenzie had threatened to take back “his money” from Safa for the delays since he made his promises. Now, he insists that everything is on track.

“Safa has said that they are meeting Fifa [to discuss an implementation strategy]. Imagine if I take the money back and then Fifa approves. Then we must wait another six months to get the money again. So no, we are on track,” he insisted.

Asked why he insists on using R20-million of state money to help implement VAR when many athletes and artists complain about funding and many people starve, McKenzie said: “The government has bud­geted for bread and butter issues. This money was never budgeted for bread and butter issues. It was budgeted for VAR. The money is gaining interest [where it is sitting]. It’s not lying there like it’s buried in a yard.”

He also insisted the Liv Golf tour will be back in South Africa next year, after debuting early this year. The government paid R82-million to host LIV Golf in March.

But given the financial issues facing the formerly Saudi-backed tour, McKenzie’s words may well be just another empty promise. Yet in a country where citizens are desperate for a saviour as the standard of living plummets, people like him possess major currency because they know what to say. Even if they don’t follow up with action. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R39. The e-edition of Daily Maverick’s weekly newspaper, DM168, is now free for readers who are signed into their Daily Maverick account. Click on the cover of the newspaper below to access the e-edition.