The minister of sport, arts and culture engages in bluster, dismissing evidence, disregarding accountability and substituting raw power for reason. Daily Maverick sent McKenzie’s office questions based on the claims in this piece, his response is published at the end. What makes the most recent episode — his unilateral cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath’s 2026 Venice Biennale selection by an independent panel — particularly alarming is not merely the decision itself, but McKenzie’s reckless disregard for freedoms, law, expertise and due process.
His dissolution of the board of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) in mid-2025 was a similar abuse of power, disregard for law, good governance and parliamentary oversight, which was sadly under-reported by the media. On 2 September 2025, reporting to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (PPC) on Sport, Arts and Recreation, I stated — in the minister’s presence — that his decision to dissolve the Saids board was irrational, unfair and unlawful. Saids is a statutory public entity constituted under the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport Act 14 of 1997.
Although the minister has the authority to appoint the board, that authority must be exercised rationally, on sound grounds and through meaningful consultation with sporting stakeholders, with the board ultimately accountable to Parliament. My association with Saids spans almost its entire 30-year existence: nearly two decades as a board member, 10 years as chair, and extensive service on doping tribunals and the appeals board. Over this period, Saids came to exemplify a well-run public institution: it achieved unqualified audits year after year, built strong and credible relationships with Parliament, the ministry, the Auditor-General and sporting federations, and secured international standing and respect that exceeded what South Africa’s size or resources might suggest.
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Saids members serve or have served on many international committees and are regularly called upon to officiate at international events, including the Olympics and Paralympics. Under ministers Steve Tshwete, Ngconde Balfour and Makhenkesi Stofile — all of whom were deeply committed to the integrity of sport, with Tshwete the founding minister, and the latter two active in the leadership structures of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) — Saids emerged as a global leader. South Africa played a formative role in international anti-doping cooperation, including the establishment of the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations, on whose executive I served.
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