McKenzie orders Safa to repay R13m VAR funding within 21 days

South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has given the South African Football Association (Safa) 21 days to return R13m allocated for the introduction of video assistant referee (VAR), warning that he will take further action if the money is not repaid.

McKenzie provided the funding to Safa for the initial implementation of VAR and the training of referees. The technology had been expected to be introduced in South Africa’s top-flight division this season, but that rollout has not taken place.

The minister said he had reached the limit of what he could do through his department and had formally asked Safa to return the public money. Safa, he said, requested a 21-day grace period in which to respond.

“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 said he had taken officials and members of the media to Spain and the UK to examine different approaches to implementing the system before deciding how it could best be introduced in South Africa.

He also said he had already spoken to FIFA and was preparing to pursue an alternative route to ensure VAR is implemented, after concluding that the process had stalled under Safa.

The minister further alleged that individuals within Safa were deliberately obstructing the project and accused some officials of corruption. He said he intended to meet those he believed were responsible.

“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.”

McKenzie said he was angry that the funding had not resulted in VAR being introduced and apologised to those who felt let down by the failure to deliver the project.