‘Let your husband pay’: McKenzie shuts down Mama Joy’s World Cup funding appeal

Sport, arts, and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has rejected football superfan Joy “Mama Joy” Chauke’s request for funding to attend the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the US.

Chauke took to X to plead for assistance, even tagging the Fifa president, after realising the department would not foot her bill.

“I would like to be there,” Chauke posted. “I’m asking for help from anyone to help me attend World Cup 2026. McKenzie won’t pay for fans, especially Mama Joy.”

The post quickly caught the minister’s attention, who responded by suggesting Chauke’s French husband should finance the trip.

“We got you a husband, my sister; let him pay for the love of his life,” McKenzie said. “The euro is very strong, and Frenchmen are known to be romantic. Let him pay, sister Joy.”

McKenzie emphasised there is no policy under review to fund professional supporters, citing fairness to the broader sporting community.

“We are not going to pay for superfans as a department. It’s unfair because South Africa is full of superfans.”

Shortly after his appointment in 2024, McKenzie cancelled the long-standing practice of using government funds to send specific fans to international sporting events.

In a recent parliamentary Q&A, the department of sport, arts and culture clarified that no financial commitments have been made to send supporters to the upcoming World Cup. This follows a backtracking from McKenzie’s comments in February, when he suggested 50 South Africans might be selected via a competition to attend the global event.

Despite the rejection, Chauke maintained her loyalty to the national team, noting she would support them “either at the stadium or watching from her TV”. However, she didn’t hide her frustration, calling for the appointment of a new sport minister.

“Let’s pray for the president to give us a new minister of sport who can love fans,” Chauke remarked.

While McKenzie shut the door on Chauke, he appeared to open a window for a more merit-based system. He suggested a shift toward rewarding “club level” loyalty rather than celebrity superfans.

“I think we should have each club nominate their best and most consistent supporter for a trip to the World Cup, someone who rarely misses a game,” McKenzie said, adding he will start calling sponsors.

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