Mama Joy fires back at Gayton McKenzie, says she never asked for R700k World Cup trip

The fallout between Mama Joy Chauke and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has taken another turn after the superfan publicly pushed back against claims surrounding her 2023 Rugby World Cup trip.

Taking to X, Mama Joy denied ever requesting government sponsorship for her attendance in France, instead stating that her initial request had nothing to do with her.

“I didn’t ask Minister @GaytonMcK to take me to the World Cup, I asked for 50 fans he promised,” she wrote.

“He wanted to take the influencers, unfortunately DSAC denied cos of budget. I also didn’t know the money spent for RWC. I felt targeted by his answer, no respect for Papajoy,” she wrote.

Her post sparked mixed reactions from X users, with some questioning the fairness of government support and others defending her.

One user wrote, “But nawe you’re also an influencer. Don’t you think it’s time other batch of fans also get the preferential treatment from the association? Ayisine idedelane mama kunini!”

Another added, “You are correct, most people are attacking out of jealousy not principles. Influencers are always in these events and no one is asking how they got there because this is not about money but fight against Mamajoy.”

However, some expressed concern about the alleged spending. “Spending 700k on one person especially to go watch the World Cup is worrying. The money could go a long way in improving people’s lives or use it for service delivery. All along we thought they are paying for themselves,” one comment read.

The exchange highlights growing tensions between the two, with conflicting accounts continuing to fuel public debate.

While McKenzie maintains that official records justify his claims, Mama Joy insists she has been misrepresented in the narrative, arguing that her intentions were always about supporting fellow fans rather than securing personal benefit.

I didn’t Ask Minister ⁦@GaytonMcK⁩ to take me to the Worldcup,I asked for 50 fans he promised ,He wanted to take the influencers unfortunately DSAC denied cos of budget, I also didn’t know the money spent for RWC,I felt targeted by his answer no respect for Papajoy, pic.twitter.com/6942M5cwcR

— MamaJoy Chauke (@JoyChauke5) April 9, 2026