Gayton McKenzie Denies Involvement In Son’s R50 Million SuperSport United Takeover

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has responded to growing speculation after reports revealed that his son, Calvin Le John, played a major role in the R50 million acquisition of SuperSport United, a Premier Soccer League (PSL) club.

While public chatter linked the high-profile purchase to McKenzie’s political influence, the outspoken minister was quick to set the record straight.

“There’s no link to me, and there shouldn’t be a link,” he told eNCA’s Percy Young.
“I’m at arm’s length. But there are family members who dug into their pockets and got the team, they got SuperSport United.”

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Despite McKenzie’s prior public promise to restore Bloemfontein Celtic to the PSL, he firmly denies that his ministerial role had anything to do with the football deal.

His son, who abandoned the McKenzie surname years ago, is reportedly preparing to rebrand SuperSport United as Siwelele FC, a nod to the defunct Celtic club and its passionate fanbase.

Siwelele Dreams: Calvin’s Football Revival

Calvin Le John’s decision to revive the Siwelele legacy strikes a deeply personal chord within the McKenzie family. Bloemfontein Celtic, once a beloved Free State institution, was sold and later transformed into Royal AM, leaving fans disheartened.

In what appears to be a heartfelt tribute, Calvin is now seeking to bring back the spirit of Phunya Sele Sele through this ambitious acquisition.

Minister McKenzie even shared the emotional roots of the project: “The only time my father hugged me was when Celtic scored a goal. It’s very emotional for my family,” he said. “My son was at my father’s deathbed, and the last thing he spoke about was Celtic.”

It’s this personal history that fuels the family’s involvement—regardless of political implications. McKenzie added, “We can’t sit here when my family has the resources… people in the Free State are suffering. That can never happen.”

Gayton’s Public Promises, Private Deals: Where Lines Begin to Blur

Only weeks before the SuperSport United takeover made headlines, Minister McKenzie boldly declared that Bloemfontein Celtic would return to the top-flight league.

“Siwelele or Phunya Sele Sele is coming back. I can’t make promises that I can’t keep as a minister. I’m a politician,” he said at the time, hinting at a broader campaign to restore the iconic team.

He also reassured the public: “They said they are 100% on track,” referring to those working on the project.

Yet with his son now at the center of a multi-million rand deal and plans to revive Siwelele FC, questions are swirling about where the minister’s personal passion ends and professional boundaries begin.

In typical McKenzie fashion, he met the controversy with a mix of candor and humour: “As a minister, when I get reshuffled, I will go look for a job there, as a mascot.”

While McKenzie insists he’s not involved in the transaction, the crossover between family loyalty, political promises, and football fandom has created a narrative too complex—and too compelling—for South Africans to ignore.

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