Minister Gayton McKenzie Under Fire for Allegedly Hiding Costs of Taxpayer-Funded Travel

• The Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, allegedly failed to disclose the costs of over 20 taxpayer-funded trips
• ActionSA accused Minister McKenzie of evasion and demands accountability for government travel spending
• The party said that nearly R500 million was spent on government travel, raising concerns about transparency and excessive perks

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

ActionSA stated that it can reveal, through parliamentary questions posed by MP Dereleen James, that Minister Gayton McKenzie allegedly failed to fully disclose the costs associated with more than 20 international and domestic trips funded by taxpayers.

Minister undertook 12 international trips

In a media statement released on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, ActionSA claimed McKenzie did not provide a detailed cost breakdown as required by the official parliamentary question, accusing him of choosing "evasion over accountability". The party alleged that the minister undertook 12 international trips to destinations including Brazil, Russia, Singapore and Spain, while his deputy is said to have completed eight international visits to countries such as Morocco and India. According to ActionSA, neither provided full disclosure of the associated costs.

Read also

Democratic Alliance defends Macpherson’s R350k Brazil trip

ActionSA further claimed that there was no accounting for domestic travel expenditure, despite this being specifically requested. The party argued that the lack of transparency raises questions about the total amount spent. The statement also linked the issue to broader government travel spending, alleging that nearly R500 million has been spent on travel by members of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in recent months. ActionSA said it will continue to pursue accountability through Parliament and has proposed legislative reforms aimed at curbing what it described as excessive Cabinet perks.

Briefly News has reached out to Minister McKenzie's office and is awaiting a response.

Other stories about Minister McKenzie

Briefly News also reported that Gayton McKenzie has used his time at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate to mock Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). During his allotted time, McKenzie first praised President Ramaphosa and the Government of National Unity (GNU). He then turned his attention to ‘these ones’, saying that the coalition was very happy in the GNU and that there was no space for them.

Read also

No early leadership campaigns: ANC addresses Motsepe lobbying ahead of 2027 conference

As political leaders arrived for the State of the Nation Address (SONA), Gayton McKenzie wasted no time in staking his claim for relevance in South Africa’s shifting political landscape. Speaking to the media outside the venue on 12 February 2026, the leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) described his party as “the fastest growing party in the country,” brushing off opinion polls that suggest otherwise.

Patriotic Alliance (PA) president and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie defended his statements in which he expressed support for the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 3 February 2026. He said that he spoke as the President of the PA and not a member of the cabinet. McKenzie said that he did not speak on behalf of the government.

Source: Briefly News