Minister Gayton McKenzie – I will not reconsider the budget cuts
22nd February 2026
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Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has made it clear that he will not reverse the budget cuts imposed on sports federations last year.
Speaking to SABC Sport, McKenzie said despite the backlash that followed his decision to slash R2 million from federation funding in 2025, he remains firm and will not be pressured into changing course.
The outspoken minister insists the issue is not about “budget cuts” but about accountability.
“The problem with most of the people complaining about budget cuts is that we cannot keep on giving people money when they cannot show us what they have done with it. So, there are no budget cuts, there is withholding. That’s the new term — we call it withholding funds,” McKenzie said shortly after completing the Legends Township Marathon at Eldorado Park Stadium on Sunday. He says that federations will complain until they are blue in the face.
McKenzie emphasised that federations must account for how they spend government allocations before receiving additional funding.
“Government is not an endless pit of money. My responsibility as minister is to say, we gave you so much money last year — show us what you did with it. How is that difficult?” he questioned.
He singled out Wrestling South Africa for praise, saying the federation had demonstrated transparency and proper financial management.
“There is wrestling — they showed me exactly what they did with the money, and we gave them more money. There are very good federations in this country that show us what they have done,” he said.
According to McKenzie, 94% of federations that had funds withheld were able to access their allocations again after providing the necessary reports.
“Do you know how they got the money? It’s because they managed to show me what they did with last year’s allocations. We are not giving this money just for salaries. Show me what you have done, and I will reconsider — it’s as simple as that,” he explained.
The minister reiterated that government funding is intended primarily for development programmes rather than covering monthly salaries and administrative costs.
He also pointed out that his department is investing in infrastructure upgrades, including renovations at Eldorado Park Stadium and other facilities across the country, although he believes these efforts often go unnoticed.
McKenzie remains adamant that accountability and transparency will remain central to how his department allocates funding going forward.
