JOHANNESBURG - Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has slammed the South African Football Association (SAFA) over delays in implementing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system and now wants the association to pay back the money he provided for the project.
McKenzie says he has asked SAFA to return the R13 million he gave the association to help fund the implementation of VAR.
“I wrote a letter to SAFA and said they must return the money. They asked for 21 days’ grace. I am just as angry, because what more can I do? I asked them to bring back the money of the state because I am responsible for it,” McKenzie said.
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McKenzie had previously promised that VAR would be implemented during the current season, but the technology has yet to be introduced.
The Minister insists he has done his part and says SAFA has failed to act.
“FIFA’s rules state clearly that it has to happen through SAFA. I took journalists and administrators to Spain and the UK to compare which one is the best for us. I can’t do more as a minister. What else can I do?”