Freedom Front Plus Leader Grills Mama Joy After World Cup Ticket Drama
- The president of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), Corné Mulder, blasted super fan Mama Joy for her criticism of Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie
- Mama Joy accused McKenzie of singling her out after he indicated that the super fan would not be sponsored with a trip to the US
- South Africans who commented on Mulder’s statements agreed with him and called Mama Joy’s superfan status out
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Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
Source: Twitter
SOUTH AFRICA— Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader Dr Corné Mulder took superfan Mama Joy Chauke to task after she criticised Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie. This was after McKenzie refused to sponsor her trip to the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the United States.
Mulder posted on his @MulderCorn X account on 8 April 2026. He said Mama Joy should get a real job like millions of other South Africans. He questioned who funded her trip to the Rugby World Cup in Paris.
Read the post on X here:
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Why McKenzie rejected Mama Joy’s request
Mama Joy voiced her frustrations on X on 5 April and was at loggerheads with McKenzie. She berated him after he said that the Department would halt sponsoring trips for superfans to support Bafana Bafana. She said McKenzie will not help superfans attend the World Cup and called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a Sports Minister who cares for fans.
McKenzie responded to Mama Joy’s tweet hours later and said that her husband must pay for her trip to the United States. He joked that Frenchmen were known to be romantic.
Why McKenzie will not support superfans
McKenzie made the declaration not to support superfans at the opening of Parliament in July 2024, a month after he was sworn in as a minister. He said that it was unacceptable that superfans were flying business class and living in hotels. He later said in an interview that super fans must make super plans to get to the sports tournaments. He said that the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s priority is athletes.
McKenzie also said on his @GaytonMcK X account on 8 April that the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture paid for Mama Joy’s trips and spent R700,000 on her trip to the Rugby World Cup in France.
Read the tweet on X here:
What did South Africans say?
Social media users stood with Mulder.
Source: Twitter
Tshekelo Masibi said:
“Superfans are those fans who spend their hard-earned money to fund their own trips to support their national teams, not those who feel like they are entitled to be funded by our tax money to go attend. Mama Joy must get a job and pay taxes like the rest of us.”
Bronx said:
“Agreed. Maybe try doing real work like most of us. Imagine spending the Mama Joy money on sending young, talented sports stars to some of these events. That I would support.”
Moipai said:
“The gravy train is real.”
Gudl’umtata said:
“Never pay her again. We work hard for that tax, but we can’t afford to go to those football trips you’re taking her to.”
Zitha remarked:
“R700k and she still feels entitled.”
Mama Joy clarifies who sponsors trips
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Mama Joy clarified how her international trips are funded. She said she funds them from her own pocket.
Mama Joy refuted rumours that the government funds her trips. She said only the trip to France was sponsored.
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Source: Briefly News
