The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture for the Republic of South Africa. Gayton McKenzie shared via X.
(The Post News)– News24 has been ordered by the Press Ombudsman to issue an apology to Minister of Sports Gayton McKenzie for a report concerning his R800,000 travel to the Olympics in Paris, France. This comes after Mckenzie’s special adviser, Charles Cilliers, complained to the Press Council about an article captioned ‘Send me!’
The cost of McKenzie’s gravy train to the Olympics in Paris was R800,000. Two months after the games were over, on October 14, 2024, News24’s Parliament correspondent, Jan Gerber, wrote the piece. The story began by restating Mckenzie’s remarks on X upon his appointment as a minister.
According to the article, McKenzie’s first official trip cost over R800,000, including what he later called exorbitant and very steep products, and his answers to parliamentary questions showed that the department had spent an astounding R1.8 million on McKenzie and his support staff, which was more than the R1.3 million it had previously spent on superfans. News24 claimed that McKenzie informed Parliament that he was one of eight officials who travelled to France and “the minister approved a total estimated budget of R1,805,335.74 for officials travelling to the Olympics.”
Mckenzie was also quoted as stating that 146 athletes were there. This indicates that each athlete, including their support staff, had an average budget of R191,000, as opposed to R1.8 million for McKenzie and his officials. News24 also wrote that McKenzie’s flights actually cost more than the typical amount spent on each athlete. Each athlete’s airfare was reported to have cost them between R18,000 and R30,000.
Detailing the cost of McKenzie’s trip, News24 reported that the R800,000 spent on McKenzie included his flight, which cost more than R200,000; his ground transportation, which cost R454,005; his lodging, which cost R113,271; and his travel allowance, which came to R20,745.72.
In his case, McKenzie claimed that the headline’s description of his Olympic trip as a gravy train caused needless harm and that the Cambridge Dictionary describes a gravy train as a way of making money quickly, easily, and often dishonestly. He contended that it was troublesome to imply that going on a high-priced official trip equated to travelling on a gravy train and that it was inappropriate to imply that the trip was unethical, dishonest, or self-serving.
The apology should be published with “Minister McKenzie” and “apology” (or a comparable substitute) in the headline, cite the grievance that was submitted to this office, and conclude with the phrase: “To view the complete findings, visit presscouncil.org.za,” and be authorised by the deputy Press Ombud and published with the Press Council’s emblem.
It was suggested that a notice with the headline, “NOTE: This article has been updated after a finding by the deputy Press Ombud,” be included in the revised piece. “See the EDITOR’S NOTE that follows. The date and method of the article’s updating should be mentioned in the “EDITOR’S NOTE: Update and apology to Minister McKenzie.”
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