{"id":75302,"date":"2024-10-19T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-19T12:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/they-are-obsessed-with-me-mckenzie-unfazed-by-eff-threats-to-report-him-over-r800k-olympics-trip"},"modified":"2024-10-19T12:48:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T12:48:00","slug":"they-are-obsessed-with-me-mckenzie-unfazed-by-eff-threats-to-report-him-over-r800k-olympics-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/they-are-obsessed-with-me-mckenzie-unfazed-by-eff-threats-to-report-him-over-r800k-olympics-trip","title":{"rendered":"\u2018They are obsessed with me\u2019: McKenzie unfazed by EFF threats to report him over R800k Olympics trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>Sport, arts, and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has shrugged off threats from the EFF to report him to parliament’s ethics committee over his Paris Olympics trip expenses.<\/p>\n

The EFF claims McKenzie misused state funds for personal benefit, saying the trip’s R804,590 cost, which included R215,976 for flights, R113,271 for accommodation and R454,005 for ground transport, was \u201ca lot for one person\u201d.<\/p>\n

McKenzie believes the EFF is jealous of him because of his ministerial position, \u201csomething they are not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the problem with the EFF? Their problem is that they are not the minister. I am living what they have been fighting for (for) so long. They were insulting me and called me a ‘bandit’ (jailbird), now they say ‘honourable’. It is hurtful, I understand. They express that hurt in nonsensical questions,\u201d McKenzie said at a media briefing on Thursday.<\/p>\n

He claimed the EFF is \u201cobsessed\u201d with him and is using his name to stay relevant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can take me wherever they want to take me. The EFF needs to be relevant, and Gayton McKenzie is the most relevant name at the moment in this country. When they talk about [party leader Julius] Malema, people don’t listen. They have to talk about McKenzie so he can have the shine I’m experiencing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are Gayton-crazy. They are obsessed with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The EFF has accused McKenzie of dishonesty when answering questions in parliament about the trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cMcKenzie clearly took a large cohort of his associates as these figures could not possibly account for an individual,\u201d said EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys.<\/p>\n

However, McKenzie defended the costs, saying he was not responsible for booking flights or choosing in which hotel he would sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rules of travelling are not written by Gayton McKenzie. I don’t sit with a laptop and book a flight. I can’t come here and plead guilty for rules I did not set. I saved money by not spending 19 days [in Paris]. The president approved my travel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe the cost was driven up by the demand for cars and hotels at the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. Sport, arts, and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has shrugged off threats from the EFF to report him to parliament’s ethics committee over his Paris Olympics trip expenses. The EFF claims McKenzie misused state funds for personal benefit, saying the trip’s R804,590 cost, which included R215,976 for flights, R113,271 for accommodation and R454,005 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":75301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[274,315,275],"class_list":["post-75302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-south-africa","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018They are obsessed with me\u2019: McKenzie unfazed by EFF threats to report him over R800k Olympics trip - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/they-are-obsessed-with-me-mckenzie-unfazed-by-eff-threats-to-report-him-over-r800k-olympics-trip\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018They are obsessed with me\u2019: McKenzie unfazed by EFF threats to report him over R800k Olympics trip\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – South-Africa. 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