19/07/2026
Open Letter to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie
Date: 19 July 2026
Subject: Administrative Negligence and the Failure of Sport Administration in Mpumalanga
Dear Minister McKenzie,
I am writing this open letter as a concerned citizen, a dedicated boxing coach, and an advocate for the youth of our province. I am reaching out to you because the current state of sport administration in Mpumalanga—specifically within the Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation (DCSR) and the Mpumalanga Sports Confederation (MSCF)—is actively destroying the dreams of our athletes.
Our recent experience attempting to participate in the SANABO Youth and Elite Championships in Cape Town is a damning indictment of the incompetence and lack of transparency plaguing our local sporting authorities.
The Failure of Administrative Support
We submitted our comprehensive concept document as early as November 2025. By 25 May 2026, we provided a final team list of 33 delegates. We were met not with support, but with obstruction. Keke Mofokeng (DCSR) quoted us a "flabbergasting" and entirely unsubstantiated transport figure of over R500,000 for the team—claiming they were "out of budget."
This figure was a farce. We independently secured quotes for 33 return airfares at just R128,000. Despite our good-faith efforts to reduce our delegation from 33 down to 22, and finally to 15, the DCSR refused to disclose their actual remaining budget or provide a transparent path forward. Mr. Butini Ngoma (DCSR) ultimately ceased all communication, refusing to take our calls, effectively leaving 29 of our team members—talented boxers and coaches—sidelined and devastated.
Leadership Failure
When we escalated this crisis to Linda Zwane, President of the MSCF, pleading for urgent intervention, we were met with silence. It is disheartening to note that while our athletes were facing an administrative wall, Mr. Zwane was reportedly too busy fraternizing with his entourage at the FIFA World Cup to step in and assist.
Community Solidarity
While the officials abandoned our youth, our community did not. To ensure that just four of our team (2 coaches and 2 boxers) could make it to Cape Town on 7 July, the people of Graskop scrambled to save what they could. Through a massive grassroots effort, friends and family from Graskop, Pretoria, Canada, and the UK rallied together to raise R27,000 to cover the essential costs of flights, accommodation, and meals.
Despite this ordeal, our athletes—Arion Fraser and Dylan Roets—showed true grit and went on to clinch double national gold. They succeeded in spite of the system, not because of it.
Minister, we cannot allow another year of administrative negligence to stifle our sporting talent. We are tired of "budget constraint" narratives that vanish when funds are actually needed, only for money to be clawed back by the Treasury due to departmental under-utilization.
We are calling for an immediate investigation into the allocation of the R300 million sports budget for our province and for accountability from those who choose their comfort over the futures of our children.
Sincerely,
Lance Gibson
Chairman/Head Coach, Highlands Boxing Club
Transitional Committee Member, Mpumalanga Boxing Organisation
VC, Ehlanzeni Boxing Organisation
![Dylan Roets (blue) semi finals vs Western Cape, Sanabo Boxing Org National youth championships 10 July 2]26](https://img5.gyms1.com/704/252/1548726007042527.jpg)
