Gayton McKenzie demands SAFA return $811,535 allocated for VAR

South Africa’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has demanded that the South African Football Association (SAFA) return R13 million [$811,535] allocated to help introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the country’s football.

McKenzie says he has written to SAFA requesting the return of the government funds after becoming frustrated by what he describes as a lack of progress in implementing the system.

The minister has given the association 21 days to respond, with the threat of escalating the matter to FIFA if the money is not returned.

“We were supposed to have VAR,” McKenzie told reporters after the South African Sport Awards ceremony at Sun City.

The minister said his department had already taken several steps to help SAFA establish the system, including funding a fact-finding exercise to Spain and the United Kingdom so that officials and journalists could assess different VAR models.

McKenzie said R13 million was subsequently allocated to SAFA for the project, but argued that responsibility for implementing the technology now rests with the football association.

“I then took R13 million, and I took it to SAFA – I can’t do more as the minister,” he said.

According to McKenzie, SAFA requested an additional 21 days after receiving his letter demanding that the funds be returned.

“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?” he said.

The dispute comes amid growing calls for VAR to be introduced in South African football, particularly following a number of controversial refereeing decisions in the domestic league.

McKenzie has insisted that the technology will eventually be implemented in the Premier Soccer League, but says he has been left frustrated by the delays.

“There will be VAR in the PSL,” he said, while apologising to supporters for the failure to deliver the project as expected.

The minister also said he intends to write formally to FIFA after previously discussing the matter with football’s world governing body.

He argued that FIFA’s regulations require VAR implementation to go through SAFA and said this limited the extent to which his ministry could directly intervene.

McKenzie has previously acknowledged that the introduction of VAR is more complicated than simply making funds available, with SAFA and football authorities required to oversee the technical and operational process.

The issue has also exposed tensions between McKenzie and some officials within SAFA. The minister has accused unnamed officials of blocking the VAR project and alleged that there are “gatekeepers” within the association who do not want the technology introduced.

He has said he intends to name those officials.

McKenzie, however, has defended SAFA president Danny Jordaan from being solely blamed for the delay, arguing that other individuals within the association are responsible for what he sees as the lack of progress.

The R13 million allocation follows an earlier funding process in which National Treasury approved a R20 million transfer to SAFA for the VAR project after the cancellation of the Big Walk initiative. A larger request to redirect funding from sports federations was rejected by Treasury.

The introduction of VAR has been a long-running issue in South African football, with supporters and clubs calling for technology that could help referees review major incidents and reduce the impact of incorrect decisions.

For now, however, McKenzie has placed responsibility firmly on SAFA, giving the association 21 days to act before he considers taking the dispute further.

The minister says he remains determined to see VAR introduced, but wants the government money returned if SAFA cannot demonstrate meaningful progress on the project.