Gayton McKenzie's penchant for making big promises then not being able to follow through on them is troubling.
In the latest example, in June the department of sport, arts and culture told parliament it would pay for the long-awaited introduction of video assistant referee (VAR) in the Premier Soccer League, adding that R90m had been set aside in its budget for that purpose. Six weeks later McKenzie changed his tune, saying in his budget vote speech in parliament this week nothing has been finalised when it comes to how VAR will be funded.
It was not the first time the often-controversial sport minister made a big promise but did not follow through.
Last year he blamed “miscommunication” after backtracking on his public promise to reimburse 2024 Olympics javelin silver medallist Jo-Ané van Dyk.
Van Dyk had disclosed she had to rely mostly on her own funding and her parents for financial support in her preparations for the Games. McKenzie, at the time, vowed to reimburse the family for those costs.
He later claimed the department withdrew its offer because Van Dyk had received the nominal support that all South African Olympic participants did, such as help going to the world and African championships and allowances for participating in the Paris Games being covered by Sascoc.
That the athlete “was not part of the [OpEx] programme, which provides dedicated support to athletes in preparation for major competitions” was not denied.
It seemed a flimsy excuse.
There are so many good parts to McKenzie’s story. That he is a reformed gangster who spent seven years in prison, vowed to mend his ways and ended up a sports minister is the stuff of books and films.
His enthusiasm and apparent proactive work ethic — at least, as far as it is publicly presented — set him apart from most of his predecessors and seemed to indicate he has the potential to be a sport minister who makes a positive contribution.
McKenzie is very good at saying what people want to hear. His actual performance on those, by the reports, might be far less impressive — but his ability to insert himself into the national conversation has worked
He has energy, a quality that often is sorely lacking in government ministers and indeed all levels of the state, down to MECs and councillors. Lack of service delivery is one of the government’s greatest failures that has crippled the country.
McKenzie also has charm. He can wow a room, not just with promises, but an ability to connect at an ordinary level by expressing himself in a personal, down-to-earth, humorous manner.
But one has to wonder what that energy and charm are in service of.
McKenzie also seems to be ambitious. If it is a genuine ambition to serve as a politician and member of government and to try, as he often says, to improve what has been wrong with governing in the country, then great.
If it is about self-interest and being power-hungry — and the examples of populists abroad such as Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Benjamin Netanyahu, and Jacob Zuma at home, have exhibited this trait — then it's less great.
McKenzie’s tendencies to spread misinformation in his X posts and play the xenophobia card for votes raise alarm bells. So do his promises.
It is part of a populist’s modus operandi to make grand promises for the applause in the room. People get swept up in the fervour and excitement of it all.
When the populist does not come through on the promise, far fewer notice. It’s a dangerous game to play.
The formation of a coalition government of national unity meant McKenzie, considering his Patriotic Alliance won 2% of the national vote, landed a plum position.
His energy in trying to prove himself worthy of his promises seems admirable. He holds indabas and meets administrators.
He also makes sure he is there for every photo opportunity when an athlete or team achieves, makes sure he speaks louder than other politicians, gets more TV and radio air time and print coverage and inserts himself in the national dialogue in as positive a light as he can. It helps McKenzie has taken over the portfolio at a time of an almost unprecedented high in South African sports successes.
It is something he tries to take credit for, and while this is usually done half-jokingly, when the next elections come don’t be surprised to see this made a serious campaign argument. It shouldn’t be.
McKenzie made his name as a politician as mayor of Beaufort West, where his rhetoric of railing against corruption and lack of service delivery gained him national attention. He is very good at saying what people want to hear. His actual performance on those, by the reports, might be far less impressive, but his ability to insert himself into the national conversation has worked.
Now, as a government minister, he has a far greater stage.
Well done to him. Just so long as the meteoric rise is genuinely aimed at service and improvement. The jury remains out.
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