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Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie says there’s been a lot of progress in the push for the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the country and revealed there will be more developments this week.
Responding to questions during a media briefing after his budget vote speech in parliament yesterday, Mckenzie says together with the South African Football Association (SAFA) they will this week go through the companies that bid to run the VAR and come up with the successful bid.
The department has previously shared that they will be contributing R90 million towards the VAR introduction in SA.
"VAR has got different farcetes to it and different tasks. My task was to make money available. FIFA requires it to happen through SAFA, we are sitting with SAFA this week to now finalise the bids that are in and then putting in the company that's won to do VAR,” McKenzie said.
“I've done my bit, SAFA is now doing their bit, so we've got no doubt that VAR will be with us.”
McKenzie has yet again clarified that he will not be involved in the running of Siwelele FC, the team that bought the status of SuperSport United and was bought by his son Calvin Le’ John for a reported R50 million.
"Siwelele FC is a very small part of my family's portfolio and there's bigger things which I was not involved in. Why will I get involved in that? I would have been involved as a supporter, as a minister I'm not allowed to get involved,” he explained.
“I'm just happy Siwelele Samasele is back in the Free State. My heart breaks when I saw the lies that people of the Free State have been told, every year, believe me. Every year there's some failed business man that wants to be famous, he'll tell the people, 'I'm bringing Siwelele back' and the people will be happy.
“Every year without fail and when they do bring it back, then they sell it. My son didn't bring it back for financial reasons, it's not gonna pay rent for the family, he brought it back because Siwelele is a culture, it's our heritage, there's something missing in my soul as a Free Stater if Siwelele is not back.
“I will not be involved in the running of Siwelele."
