McKenzie gives Safa 21 days to repay R13m VAR funding

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

McKenzie provided the funding directly to Safa for the initial implementation of VAR and referee training. The technology had been expected to be introduced in South Africa’s top flight this season, but that rollout did not happen.

The minister said he had reached the limit of what he could do through his position and had formally asked Safa to return the state funds. Safa, he said, had requested a 21-day grace period.

“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 was now contacting FIFA about alternative ways of delivering VAR after the failure to introduce the system through Safa.

He also accused unnamed officials within Safa of obstructing the project and alleged that some were corrupt. McKenzie said he planned to meet those involved and warned that further steps would follow once the 21-day period had expired.

“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 the funding had been intended to support both the early stages of VAR implementation and the training required for referees. He expressed frustration that, despite those preparations and the money being made available, the technology had not arrived in the top flight as planned.

The minister also apologised to people who felt let down by the delay, while insisting he had taken every step available to him before demanding the return of the funds.