Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie breaks silence after SuperSport United sale to Siwelele Football Club - 'There’s no link to me'

Minister of Sports Gayton McKenzie has come out clear on whether he played a role in the sale of SuperSport United to Siwelele Football Club.

Siwelele Football Club completed the acquisition of the Matsatsantsa, and questions were raised on the exact role the minister played in the deal.

Siwelele Football Club, which now has a status in the Premier Soccer League, is owned by Calvin Le John, who is McKenzie's eldest son. However, the minister has distanced himself from the whole acquisition process of SuperSport United.

“The people of the Free State have been deprived of football; every Tom, Dick, and Jabulani promised every year they’d bring the team back,” McKenzie told eNCA’s Percy Young, as per iDiski Times.

“I can tell you categorically now that I'm an arm's length, but there are family members of mine; they dug into their pocket, and they got the team, and they got SuperSport [United]," he added.

“But there’s no link to me, and there should not be a link, but my involvement was actively public to tell South Africans, ‘I’m going to make sure that Siwelele returns to the Free State.’

"I knew nothing else."

McKenzie recalled his childhood and his family's love for the defunct Bloemfontein Celtic and stressed the emotional significance of Free State having a top-tier club.

"I grew up very poor. The only time my family was together, and the only time my father hugged me, was when [Bloemfontein] Celtic would score a goal. And it’s very emotional for my family, and my son has taken over our family business because, as a minister, you’re not allowed to own a business. And he was there at the deathbed of my father; the last thing he spoke about was about Celtic," McKenzie added.

“So, you can understand how this is an emotional thing for my family. So, we can’t sit here, and my family has the resources, and the people of the Free State are suffering. That can never happen," he continued.

“So, I was very proud when my son told me that you do what you need to do, and I’m going to do what I need to do. I’m very, very proud of it.”

The purchase by Siwelele Football Club means SuperSport's existence, which had stretched for over three decades, has come to an end. Matsatsantsa achieved top-tier status by purchasing Pretoria City.

Since then, they have become a mainstay outfit in the Premier Soccer League and have won the league title on three occasions, lifted the Nedbank Cup five times, the MTN8 on two occasions, and the Telkom Cup once.

The acquisition of SuperSport United means Siwelele has inherited the history of one of the iconic clubs in the country.

Although they have struggled in recent seasons, their past achievements cannot be understated. What remains now is to see whether the new baby in the block will turn out to match or better its predecessor's history.