Gayton MacKenzie, the newly appointed Sports, Arts, and Culture minister, has made a significant announcement. As part of his efforts to promote fairness and transparency, he has decided to stop funding trips for superfans.
The minister explained that the department will no longer be paying for these trips, as the funds will be better utilized to support athletes and artists who are struggling to attend sporting events and exhibitions. This decision comes after it was revealed that superfans Joyce “Mama Joy” Chauke and Botha Msila’s expenses to travel to the Rugby World Cup in France last year totalled over R1.3 million from taxpayers.
Gayton MacKenzie emphasized that the time has come to put an end to unfairness and favouritism. He promised to ensure that the public is made aware of those who received funding from the department. The minister also expressed shock at the number of artists who were receiving funding from the department without doing anything wrong or benefiting untowardly.
With this decision, the department aims to promote a more equitable and transparent approach to funding.
