Gayton McKenzie Attacks News24 on X Over Corruption Allegations and PA Board Appointments

• Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie fired back at News24 on X after the outlet published a report linking him to 19 PA-connected board appointments
• McKenzie accused News24 of becoming a DA mouthpiece and predicted the DA would lose the Western Cape in the next election
• Social media users pressed the minister on why his post contained no denial of the specific allegations raised in the article

SOUTH AFRICA — Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie launched a public attack on News24 via X on 23 August 2026, accusing the publication of running a campaign to portray him as corrupt and alleging it had aligned itself with the Democratic Alliance.

McKenzie's post came in response to a News24 article headlined "Friends first: McKenzie deploys 19 PA-linked figures to arts and culture boards," published earlier the same day. Responding directly on X, McKenzie wrote:

"You are now on an article a week trying to paint me as corrupt; I'm looking forward to an article a day. You can try as hard as you like, but the DA will not rule WC after this election. You have become a DA paper; hence you're losing a fortune per day."

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Mounting pressure on McKenzie

The social media exchange unfolded against a backdrop of escalating scrutiny of the minister. Parliament's Sports Committee has questioned McKenzie over approximately R30.9 million spent during the 2026 FIFA World Cup trip, which reportedly included more than R1 million in personal travel costs. The Democratic Alliance subsequently filed a formal complaint with the Public Protector targeting both the World Cup expenditure and the appointment of active Patriotic Alliance members to the Mzansi Golden Economy adjudication panel.

Opposition parties and investigators have also raised concerns about at least 19 Patriotic Alliance members or close associates being placed on boards of public entities falling under McKenzie's department. Beyond the appointments controversy, the minister has been embroiled in public disputes with Athletics South Africa over a Monaco event and delayed grant distributions, and has publicly pressured the South African Football Association over its failure to implement Video Assistant Referee technology despite government funding.

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Users demand a denial

McKenzie's X post attracted significant attention online, with many users noting that his statement did not include a direct denial of the allegations.

@Z_hinks100 wrote:

"Prove they are lying then; if that's the case, it shouldn't be that hard or am I missing something?"

@JellybeansRSA commented:

"So are you denying you deployed 19 PA-linked figures to arts and culture boards? Your response does not include a denial….🤔"

@DavidBa43357750 added:

"You know what is amazing, you never defended or denied it."

@rei_tee_cee asked:

"Are you honestly not corrupt? Can you truly say you are not corrupt with confidence?"

@IzyMye30433 offered a contrasting view, writing:

"Minister, you can employ whoever you think is fit and qualified; don't listen to these people. Maybe the one writing this story was hired, or her friend recommended her."

Read the minister's post that caused the backlash here:

More on Gayton McKenzie

• Briefly News recently reported on Lasizwe calling out Gayton McKenzie over the state of South Africa's entertainment industry and the future of the SAMAs.
• Gayton McKenzie made a claim about CCTV footage linked to the Reiger Park shooting, prompting South Africans to question what had happened to the evidence.
• The sports minister made an emotional appeal for information after the murder of former boxing world champion Zolani Tete shocked South Africa.

Source: Briefly News