The allegations concern a jobs-for-pals scheme allegedly benefiting the Patriotic Alliance and the alleged misappropriation of nearly R110 million in public funds.
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie of corruption and abusing the public purse.
In a statement on Thursday, the party said it would report the minister to the Public Protector and submit a dossier of evidence alleging multiple breaches of his oath of office and the law.
“The allegations in question concern a jobs-for-pals scheme benefiting the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and the misappropriation of nearly R110 million in public money. McKenzie’s FIFA World Cup trips will be referred as well,” said DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau.
She claimed that the DA had evidence of these alleged transgressions and would submit a full dossier to the Public Protector.
PA responds to DA allegations
However, in a statement on Thursday, PA spokesperson Steve Motale said the DA is clutching at straws and that McKenzie had done nothing wrong.
“The Patriotic Alliance 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,” said Motale.
Instead, Motale described the DA’s attempt to have McKenzie investigated by the Public Protector as a political attack.
“It is born of panic. The DA knows it is haemorrhaging support to the Patriotic Alliance in the Western Cape, and it is desperate to cling to power by any means available – including escalating its long-running and well-established strategy of smearing the PA with unsubstantiated claims. It has not worked before, and it will not work now.
“The Patriotic Alliance will remove the DA from power in the City of Cape Town and in most other municipalities in November’s elections. They will deserve every bit of that outcome, because if you have to lie to retain power, then you don’t deserve to retain power,” said Motale.
Resolve Communications
Meanwhile, Motale said the Patriotic Alliance was finalising its own complaint to the Public Protector against the DA arising from the Resolve Communications matter involving former DA leader Tony Leon.
“The allegations that Resolve, chaired by Mr Leon, used his standing within the DA to secure privileged access to DA ministers for private clients, including in connection with Starlink’s regulatory dealings with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi, raise precisely the kind of state-capture-style concerns the DA claims to care so much about when they involve someone else.
“We look forward to the DA answering questions about its own house with the same transparency it demands of everyone else,” said Motale.
