Parliament’s invitation to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to account for its audit findings sat in Minister Gayton McKenzie’s office for more than three weeks before it reached the department’s director-general.
The department has also admitted that Director-General Dr Cynthia Khumalo’s letter to Parliament gave the wrong date for when she received it.
The admissions came in response to Africa Daily’s questions after Tuesday’s meeting of the NCOP Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries collapsed.
Committee chairperson Makhi Feni shut down the meeting because McKenzie, Deputy Minister Peace Mabe and Khumalo were all absent.
The committee’s invitation was dated 25 September.
“The invitation issued on 25 September 2026 was not addressed to or copied to the Office of the DG. Based on the Department’s records, the communication was sent to officials within the Ministry,” said Stacey-Lee Khojane, the ministry’s media liaison officer.
“The official in the Minister’s Office was under the impression that the invitation had already been circulated to all the relevant offices. However, when requesting the updated presentations in preparation for the Select Committee meeting, it was established that the invitation had not reached all the intended recipients.”
Khumalo told the committee in writing that the invitation “only reached my Office on 20 October 2026”.
But McKenzie’s office had already apologised for the meeting on 19 October.
Asked to explain this, the department said: “Upon reviewing the matter, it was established that the reference to 20 October 2026 in correspondence from the DG’s office was the result of an administrative error. The correct date on which the invitation reached the Office of the DG was 19 October 2026.”
Khumalo skipped the audit briefing for a meeting about sporting events next year.
“On 27 October 2026, the Director-General was scheduled to attend an official departmental meeting relating to preparations for the Cricket World Cup 2027 and the Rugby World Cup 2027. The timing of this engagement coincided with that of the Select Committee meeting,” Khojane said.
“Given the late receipt of the invitation in the Office of the DG, it was not possible to realign the existing commitment within the available timeframe, ” she said.
McKenzie’s apology cited “prior political commitments”. The ministry would not say what they were, or whether they were Patriotic Alliance business.
“The Minister had prior political engagements that had been committed to and confirmed at the beginning of September 2026, well in advance of the Select Committee meeting. These commitments were already on the Minister’s schedule,” Khojane said.
“This should not be construed as the Minister placing these engagements above Parliament or the importance of the Committee’s oversight responsibilities,” she said.
Mabe did not send the committee an apology. The ministry said she fell ill on the day.
“The Deputy Minister had intended to represent the Executive through virtual participation. However, she fell ill and consulted a doctor on the day of the meeting, which prevented her from participating as planned.
“The Deputy Minister’s absence arose from unforeseen illness and the need to seek medical attention on the day of the meeting. We acknowledge that formal communication with the Committee when a member of the Executive is unable to attend is important, particularly in the context of parliamentary oversight and accountability. The Deputy Minister regrets that she was unable to participate in the engagement,” Khojane said.
Feni told Tuesday’s meeting the committee had been told Mabe was on her way. The ministry did not confirm this.
“Confirmation is required regarding the communication to the Committee that the Deputy Minister was on her way,” Khojane said.
The ministry said the absences should not be read as disrespect for Parliament.
“Neither absence was intended to demonstrate disregard for the Committee, Parliament or the public. The Executive remains committed to accounting to Parliament, engaging constructively with the Committee and ensuring that the matters raised receive the necessary attention,” Khojane said.
The department said it was waiting for the committee to set a new date.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Feni said political accountability was “very important”.
“We are dealing with the financials of the department. It can’t just be left to the administrators,” he said.
The Auditor-General had told the committee that slow response by leadership was one of the root causes of the portfolio’s problems.