McKenzie says Mosimane should match Broos pay as Safa VAR row deepens

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie says Pitso Mosimane should be offered the same salary as Hugo Broos to become the next Bafana Bafana coach, arguing that paying the South African less would reflect an “apartheid legacy”.

Mosimane is reportedly being offered an annual package of R10m by the South African Football Association (Safa), while figures disclosed to parliament show that Broos earned R16.8m a year, excluding a car, driver and accommodation.

Broos was in charge of Bafana Bafana for five years before guiding them to the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup in North America last month. He then retired from his position.

McKenzie criticised the difference between the two packages while speaking on the sidelines of a memorial service for South African boxing legend Zolani Tete in Mdantsane, KuGompo City, on Wednesday.

Tete was murdered by gunmen outside his home in Mdantsane on Friday.

“Look, you see, the problem with us sometimes [is] apartheid has done big damage to us more damage than you can even imagine,” McKenzie said.

“That you want Pitso to justify a bigger salary and you just offered another man, who does the same job as Pitso, much more, it is that apartheid legacy in our brains to value a black man less than a white man.

“Pitso must be paid what Hugo Broos has been paid. We must not compare Pitso to some of the coaches in the Motsepe League. Pitso has won trophies, Pitso has built a name and Pitso is our product.”

The negotiations between Safa and Mosimane have been protracted, with the former Bafana Bafana coach under consideration to replace Broos.

McKenzie also used the event to address the continuing delay over the introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) in South Africa’s top two divisions.

The Department of Sport transferred R20m to Safa in May to fund the implementation of VAR in the Betway Premiership and the second-tier Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Safa finance committee chair Mxolisi Sibam said at a National Executive Committee meeting in May that the association was aiming to introduce VAR at the start of the 2026-27 Premier Soccer League season. That target has not been met.

Safa faced questioning from parliament’s sports portfolio committee this week over the apparent lack of progress. Safa president Danny Jordaan was notably absent from Tuesday’s hearing.

McKenzie said he had spoken to Jordaan on Wednesday morning and had arranged to meet him this weekend.

“As far as VAR is concerned, whether they [Safa] like it or not, VAR must be in our league,” McKenzie said.

“I have given them the money, I have spoken to Danny Jordaan this [Wednesday] morning, we are meeting this weekend. And I said to him, ‘President of Safa, you want VAR.’

“He agreed with me. So VAR will be there. We will have VAR in our leagues.

“The fact that he wasn’t there [in parliament] yesterday [on Tuesday] he must come and give his reasons. I was there.

“But VAR will be in our leagues.”

McKenzie said last week that he had written to Safa giving the association 21 days to return R13m allocated directly for VAR.