McKenzie gives Safa 21 days to repay R13m VAR funds

Minister of sports, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie has revealed that he has given the South African Football Association (Safa) 21 days to return money he gave them to implement video assistant referee (VAR) and warned he will act should they fail to pay.

The minister had allocated R13m directly to Safa for initial implementation and referee training, and VAR was expected to be rolled out for this season in the top-flight but didn’t happen.

McKenzie said he cannot do more as a minister and has since asked Safa to return the money and said they have asked for a 21-day grace period.

“Let me tell you what is happening with VAR, Fifa’s rules state clearly that it has to happen through Safa,” McKenzie told the media after the South African Sports Awards in Sun City on Sunday.

“I took the media, administration and the team down to Spain so they can go and see and into the UK, so we can compare which one is the best for us.

“I then took R13m and I gave it to Safa, and I can tell you now, that’s where I can’t do more as a minister. I wrote Safa a letter where I said they should return my money.

“And Safa asked for 21 days’ grace, I am just as angry because what more can I do? I asked them in the letter to bring back my money, the state money, because I’m responsible for it.

“They said they will act within 21 days because, for me, there was no action. We are supposed to have VAR, so people shouldn’t look at me. I am a minister that put on the table that VAR should be there.

“I did everything possible. Now I’m writing to Fifa, I have already spoken to them that I must go another way to get VAR.

“And I’m going to do that. I want to apologise to people I have let down terribly because what can I say, I have done everything.”

McKenzie claims there are people at Safa who are corrupt and are trying to sabotage the implementation of the VAR, and he is planning to meet them.

“There are people at Safa who take advantage of the fact that people are going to blame Danny [Jordaan] and he allows that. There are gatekeepers there who are corrupt, they don’t want VAR to happen,” he said.

“How do you explain the minister putting money forward and it is not coming? There are two officials who are blocking this thing. They are corrupt to the core. What more can I do?

“I’m going to give Safa that 21 days, but you must watch what will happen after that.”

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