Madam Butterfly

Auditor-General Raises Alarm Over Gayton McKenzie’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture After R67 Million Irregular Spending And R1.68 Million Wasteful Expenditure Is Uncovered The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, led by Minister Gayton McKenzie, has been flagged for R67 million in irregular expenditure, according to findings by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). The findings have raised concerns about financial management, accountability and weaknesses in internal controls within the department and its entities. The department initially reported R10.43 million in irregular expenditure for the 2024/25 financial year, but the Auditor-General established that the actual amount was R42 million. This figure increased to R67 million in 2025/26. The AGSA warned that the amount could be higher because the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex and Robben Island Museum could not quantify their irregular expenditure. The department's historical irregular expenditure balance also remained substantial, although it decreased from R861 million to R839 million. The Auditor-General further identified R1.68 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure across 11 entities, alongside concerns about unspent grants, budget overspending and weaknesses in financial oversight. Responding to parliamentary questions, McKenzie said the department had developed an audit action plan, reviewed by Internal Audit, to address the root causes of the 2024/25 audit findings. He said corrective measures were assigned to responsible programmes with deadlines and monitored through quarterly reports to departmental management and the Audit Committee. Parliament is expected to monitor progress in strengthening financial accountability.