Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie was behind a R2.9 million payout to boxing legends that was not included in Boxing SA’s approved budget.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture confirmed that it transferred the money to Boxing SA to fund the minister’s Living Legends Awards.
DSAC official Simphiwe Mncube told the Portfolio Committee on Sport Arts and Culture that the transfer was a “special transfer” made “to specifically undertake and deliver on that initiative”.
Committee chairperson Joe McGluwa asked whether the initiative had been identified by McKenzie.
“Identified by the minister?” McGluwa asked.
“Correct, Chair,” Mncube said.
Boxing SA chief financial officer Bertram Moses confirmed that the R2.9 million was not part of the regulator’s approved budget.
“I can confirm it was not part of the approved budget. The R2.9 million was funded by the department. This was a ministerial initiative, for the awards for the legends. We as BSA did not incur one cent of that expenditure. It was fully funded by the department,” said Moses.
Although DSAC provided the money, the expenditure was recorded in Boxing SA’s books.
ANC MP Gaolatlhe Kgabo asked why the spending appeared in BSA’s financial statements if it was a departmental initiative.
“Although they funded, the payment went through our books as Boxing SA,” Moses said.
Mncube confirmed that the department’s transfer was recorded as income and expenditure by Boxing SA.
“The department transferred the funds to BSA, hence it reflects as income and expenditure on their side,” he said.
Mncube said the department would not have made the transfer “if it was at all not permissible”.
But Kgabo questioned whether the minister’s political announcement had a proper legal basis.
“I always tell you officials that a political pronouncement must be correctly located in a piece of legislation,” he said.
“We are dealing with the state here. We are not dealing with our family affairs.”
Kgabo accused McKenzie of repeatedly making promises with financial implications.
“The minister has turned himself into Bhuti Madlisa of this country. Everywhere he goes, he makes public pronouncements which have financial implications. Some of us were not born under the bed. We can never be threatened by the minister when we are asking questions,” said Kgabo.
He then demanded a full breakdown of the R2.9 million from Boxing SA and DSAC, including who received the money, how much each person received and why.
“It’s very strange that the department would just decide to dump money there,” he said.
EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa described the arrangement as political interference.
“This was an unsolicited project, not budgeted for, but having political interference. That’s what it is called. An instruction by the minister,” he said.
He also accused Moses of funding the initiative “out of fear”.
Boxing SA CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka said the awards were presented at a dinner hosted by McKenzie on 31 March 2025.
He said the dinner formed part of the department’s programme to honour living legends.
Those honoured included former world champions, national champions who had never received their title belts and younger boxers with exceptional achievements, according to Lejaka.
ANC MP Matsholo Mmolotsane said Boxing SA had previously promised to honour legends who had been left out.
She named former boxers including Vusi Malinga and Sebastian Rothmann, as well as ring announcers.
Asked whether this had happened, Lejaka said: “It has been executed, Chair. We said that we will continue to consider other avenues of honouring them.”
McKenzie did not attend Tuesday’s committee meeting.