South African football’s long-awaited Video Assistant Referee (VAR) rollout has hit another major roadblock with Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie giving the South African Football Association (SAFA) 21 days to account for R13 million allocated towards the project.
McKenzie revealed that he has formally asked SAFA to return the state funds after becoming frustrated by the lack of progress in bringing VAR to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
The minister had previously committed government funding to help kick-start the implementation of the technology, which was expected to be introduced to top-flight football. However, the 2026/27 season began without VAR after SAFA confirmed that it was not yet ready for the rollout.
Speaking to the media after the South African Sport Awards in Sun City, McKenzie explained that his department had gone as far as taking administrators, media representatives and other stakeholders to Spain and the United Kingdom to assess different VAR systems before making funding available.
“I then took R13 million and I gave it to SAFA and I can tell you now, that’s where I can’t do more as a minister,” McKenzie said.
According to the minister, he subsequently wrote to SAFA demanding the return of the money. SAFA then requested a 21-day grace period to address the matter.
McKenzie said he was particularly frustrated because the funding was public money and he believed everything had been done from the government’s side to get the project moving.
“We were supposed to have VAR. So people shouldn’t look at me. I am the minister that put on the table that VAR should be there. I did everything humanly possible,” he said.
The minister also revealed that he has engaged FIFA as he looks for an alternative route to ensure VAR is eventually introduced in South African football.
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“There will be VAR in the PSL,” McKenzie insisted, while apologising to football supporters for the continued delays.
The latest development comes after SAFA had previously confirmed receiving government funding for the VAR project and said the money had been placed in a separate account.
However, SAFA’s head of referees Abdul Ebrahim later confirmed that VAR would not be ready for the 2026/27 season, citing the extensive training still required before the technology could be deployed.
McKenzie has also made serious allegations about the reasons behind the delays, claiming that certain individuals within SAFA are deliberately standing in the way of the project.
“There are some gatekeepers at SAFA who are corrupt and don’t want VAR to happen,” he alleged.
The minister said he believes two SAFA officials are blocking the implementation and warned that further action could follow once the 21-day period expires.
“I’m going to give SAFA that 21 days, but you must watch what happens after 21 days,” McKenzie said.
For PSL fans who have been calling for VAR amid repeated refereeing controversies, the saga is far from over. With McKenzie now demanding answers over the millions allocated to the project, all eyes will be on SAFA as the 21-day deadline approaches.
