The South African Football Association (SAFA) employee(s) who almost cost Bafana Bafana their FIFA 2026 World Cup spot will face no punishment, according to president Danny Jordaan. You would be forgiven for thinking heads would roll for the grave error, but no, it is business as usual at SAFA House. Bafana Bafana were almost home and dry when FIFA acted and sanctioned Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player in midfielder Teboho Mokoena, in the 2-0 win over Lesotho played…

South African football’s dream of utilising the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is closer to reality. This comes after the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture allocated R82-million for VAR. “The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is pleased to announce significant progress in the procurement and implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for South African football, in close collaboration with the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL),” announced the department on…

A group of 15 NGOs (non-governmental organisations) has called out the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, for his directive that all foreign nationals employed by entities funded by his department be removed from their positions. The NGOs say McKenzie’s directive is unlawful and incites hate against foreign nationals. This comes after he declared at the signing of stakeholder compacts with public entities under his department: “I want them out… Get them out before I get you out.”…

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie has demanded answers after Limpopo learner athletes were deprived of food and slept in a bus ahead of the 2025 national schools Sports Championship Autumn games. The Limpopo athletic team pulled out of the sports championships Autumn games in the final stages due to accommodations and other logistical issues. The week-long championships were held in Bloemfontein in the Free State province from 2 to 6 April 2025. According to one athlete’s parent who…

The late American economist Paul Samuelson once said, “Politicians like to tell people what they want to hear—and what they want to hear is what won’t happen.” For now, however, Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is living up to his promise on the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). McKenzie has for months been talking about VAR and how crucial it would be for the PSL considering the questionable refereeing calls that…

The decision by Athletics South Africa (ASA) to deprive South Africans of televised national championships is an act of gross negligence, a betrayal of our sporting heritage, and an affront to the principles of development and transformation in sport.  This move is not just a failure in governance but a calculated abdication of responsibility. As someone who has been involved in sports administration since my days in SATISCO and through the establishment of federations that now govern our national sporting…

Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie says he’ll have the last laugh regarding Video Assistance Referee (VAR) in South Africa. It’s been four months since McKenzie made promises that he’d ensure the implementation of VAR in SA, specifically in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). At the time, McKenzie had met the South African Football Association (SAFA) National Executive Committee (NEC) in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Since then, football publications have estimated the costs of VAR to be in the…

THERE are mixed reactions to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruling against South African Home Affairs’ decision to terminate the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP). The ruling allows 178 000 Zimbabweans to live and work in the neighbouring country after the court ruled the termination as “unlawful” and “unconstitutional.” The ruling was met with varied feelings. Others concurred with the high court ruling that Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi acted unjustly, improperly, unlawfully, illegally and illegitimately. Some accused the…