South Africa's opposition parties, including the DA, EFF, and ActionSA, are demanding answers over the appointment of Bakang Lethoko as CEO of Ticketpro, a ticketing company that serves Cricket South Africa and the South African Football Association. Lethoko's appointment has raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest and political interference ahead of the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup, which South Africa is set to host. The opposition parties allege that Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie's involvement in the appointment is a case of political influence.
The DA has formally referred the matter to the Public Protector to investigate potential breaches of the Executive Ethics Code and conflicts of interest. The party alleged that at least 19 people linked to the Patriotic Alliance (PA) or McKenzie have been appointed to key positions across the sport, arts, and cultural sectors over the past two years. The DA also pointed out that the Auditor-General has reported poor record-keeping and confirmed fraud in some cases in McKenzie's department. The minister skipped a parliamentary briefing on those findings, attending a Cricket World Cup schedule launch instead.
The EFF has demanded that the Public Protector fast-track the investigation into PA-linked appointments and that the Cricket World Cup organisers and Cricket SA publish how Ticketpro was appointed. The party also demanded that McKenzie and all PA-linked appointees make a full public disclosure of their interests in Ticketpro and every other entity doing business with the state or state-funded bodies. The EFF referred to an earlier controversy involving a R3-million gala dinner in Sandton hosted in 2022 while McKenzie was executive mayor of the Central Karoo District Municipality.
ActionSA's parliamentary leader Athol Trollip commented on the matter, saying that McKenzie has no idea about the separation of powers between party and state. Trollip alleged that McKenzie and PA deputy president Kenny Kunene have been appointing their party friends, colleagues, and staff to positions that appear to benefit directly from their proximity to their leaders. Trollip compared this to the infamous cadre deployment system used by the ANC.
McKenzie has strongly denied any role in Lethoko's ascension to her new position as Ticketpro's boss. Ticketpro Group denied that its perceived political ties were problematic. However, the opposition parties remain concerned about the lack of transparency in the deal. The EFF accused McKenzie of trying to have the investigation into the R3-million gala dinner terminated.
The controversy surrounding McKenzie's appointments has been ongoing, with the minister facing repeated accusations of placing party insiders, as well as personal and political associates, in state-funded positions. The Western Cape high court previously ordered that McKenzie hand over information to forensic investigators regarding the R3-million gala dinner. McKenzie lost his fight against the court order through the high court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, and finally the Constitutional Court in April 2026.
The opposition parties are calling for greater transparency and accountability in the sport, arts, and cultural sectors. The 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup is expected to generate hundreds of millions of rands in ticket sales, and the opposition parties are concerned that the PA's influence in the ticketing industry could lead to further controversies. The Public Protector's investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Key points
- The DA, EFF, and ActionSA are demanding answers over the appointment of Bakang Lethoko as CEO of Ticketpro.
- The opposition parties allege that Minister Gayton McKenzie's involvement in the appointment is a case of political influence.
- The controversy surrounding McKenzie's appointments has been ongoing, with the minister facing repeated accusations of placing party insiders in state-funded positions.
