CAUGHT OUT: Gayton McKenzie’s Blu Label visits raise fresh questions over Ticketpro sale
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie made repeated visits to JSE-listed technology group Blu Label before it sold its Ticketpro subsidiary to a consortium linked to his political party, fuelling suspicions about his influence on the controversial deal.
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has been under scrutiny due to repeated visits to Blu Label, a technology group he allegedly influenced before its sale of Ticketpro to a consortium linked to his political party. McKenzie visited Blu Label's Sandton headquarters multiple times during the deal's finalization, raising suspicions about his involvement in the controversial transaction.
Blu Label, founded by brothers Brett and Mark Levy, claimed the sale was an "arm's-length disposal," but new details suggest otherwise. The new owners of Ticketpro, a women-owned broad-based black economic empowerment consortium, have strong ties to McKenzie and his party, the Patriotic Alliance. Ticketpro, a key ticketing vendor for Cricket South Africa and the South African Football Association, falls under McKenzie's jurisdiction.
McKenzie denied any role in the Ticketpro transaction and dismissed questions about his visits, stating that ministers are allowed to have friends. However, the timing of these visits and the presence of McKenzie's former chief of staff, Bakang Lethoko, at Blu Label's offices during the sale, have fueled further speculation.
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