Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has confirmed that the government previously paid self-proclaimed ‘super fan’ Joy ‘Mama Joy’ Chauke to attend major sporting events, with the expenditure amounting to over half a million rand.
Mama Joy caused an uproar this week after she claimed that Minister McKenzie has refused to pay for her to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
She went on to call for the removal of the Minister and for the government to consider someone who would consider her demands and those of other fans.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off on Thursday, June 11, concluding with the final on Sunday, July 19. Co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the tournament sees Bafana Bafana drawn into a challenging Group A.
South Africa will contest their group-stage fixtures across Mexico and the USA, headlined by a high-stakes opening match against co-hosts Mexico. The clash serves as a historic repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener. Rounding out Bafana Bafana’s Group A challenge are encounters with South Korea and the Czech Republic.
POPULAR SUPPORTER MAMA JOY ACCUSED OF BEING ENTITLED AFTER WORLD CUP DEMANDS
The popular former Orlando Pirates supporter, together with a selected fellow self-proclaimed super fans, have been beneficiaries of freebies to attend major events.
This includes the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, during a radio interview on Metro FM this week, Mama Joy claimed that her previous trips were personally paid for by president Cyril Ramaphosa.
She went on to deny that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture had previously paid for her to attend any event.
MINISTER GAYTON MCKENZIE CONFIRMS PAYMENTS FOR SO-CALLED SUPER FANS
But a social media post on Wednesday by the Sports Minister, McKenzie, revealed that before his tenure, his department had paid close to R700 000 [for Mama Joy to attend events].
“Let me be clear, the president of the country did not pay for Mama Joy’s trips, despite what she may think,” he wrote on his X official platform.
“DSAC did. Both trips I could find info on from before my term were covered by the department. Her France trip alone cost R700k. I hope this matter can now be put to rest,” added McKenzie.
Meanwhile, in a previous post, McKenzie has also proposed that PSL clubs should nominate the most consistent supporter for a trip to the World Cup.
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