WATCH | It was a downgrade and the president approved: McKenzie on R800,000 Paris trip

Sports, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie says his trip to Paris for the Olympics — which cost taxpayers more than R800,000 — was a “downgrade” from what he was used to before becoming a minister.

This comes after the cost of the trip sparked criticism, given his “tough talk” on wasteful expenditure. 

TimesLIVE reported last week that taxpayers paid R804,597 for McKenzie's trip to France. This included R215,976 for flights, R113,271 for accommodation and R454,005 for ground transport.

McKenzie said he tried to save costs by opting for a four-star instead of a five-star hotel in Paris. He had booked for seven nights at Hotel Lumen Paris Louvre. According to the department, it cost R16,181 a night.

“The rules of travelling are not written by Gayton McKenzie. I don't sit with a laptop and book a flight. I can't come here and plead guilty for rules I did not set. I actually saved money by not spending 19 days [in Paris]. The president approved my travel,” McKenzie said.

“I'm not excited about the perks of this position. This is a downgrade for me. When we were given cars in government, I jumped out of a more expensive personal car to go into a government car. I'm not excited about this position; I'm here because this is a labour of love.”

McKenzie says the transport that cost taxpayers R454,005 was a Mercedes-Benz “that I would never drive in my own life”.

“Now you want to portray me as someone who's taking a joyride. That you can do with other ministers, you've chosen the wrong one. I fly first class all the time with my own money. Now I fly business class; it's not an upgrade for me; it's a downgrade.”

McKenzie's defence comes after he was accused of trading superfans for his own benefits when he cancelled their travels. Last year, R1.3m of taxpayers' money was spent to send superfans Mama Joy Chauke and Botha Msila to the Rugby World Cup in France. 

But McKenzie maintained that he's not in it for the perks.

“I've done nothing wrong,” McKenzie said, saying the amount spent was fair. “Don't compare me to Mama Joy; I'm not a super fan; I'm the minister of sport, arts and culture.

“There's a ministerial handbook that guides me, and the ministerial handbook demands that I fly business class. The ministerial handbook doesn't guide Mama Joy, it guides me.”

TimesLIVE