Sports Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has responded to criticism over the cost of his trip to the Olympic Games in Paris in July.

It's emerged that the department spent more than R800,000 for his trip to the Paris Olympic Games two months ago with more than half of this amount spent on transport.

While Gayton McKenzie is expected to brief the media on his 100 Days in Office on Thursday, many are waiting for the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture to set the record straight on his trip to the Paris Olympics.

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has shared the detailed costs breakdown of his trip to Paris for the Olympic Games. McKenzie wrote to his acting director-general Dr Cynthia Khumalo to explain the exorbitant expenditure.

Apparently, the good minister has taken it upon himself to investigate just how much he spent living it up in Paris during the Olympic Games.

Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie received profuse backlash from taxpayers, following the reveal that the total cost of his 2024 Olympic attendance, amounted to R800 000.The minister has since delivered a candid response to the uproar,

“I could have stayed [longer] but wanted to get to know my new portfolio. Stop lying to people,” the minister added. Eight officials had accompanied McKenzie to Paris. The budget approved for officials to attend the Olympics was R1,805,355, according to the minister.

The Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture disclosed that it spent R27.9 million to send Team South Africa to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The post Gayton McKenzie’s 2024 Paris Olympics trip cost South African taxpayers R800,

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture revealed it spent R27.9 million sending Team South Africa to the recent 2024 Paris Olympics.