Incoming DA MP Renaldo Ngamla Gouws has doubled down on his criticism of sports supporter Joy Chauke, or Mama Joy after she hinted at wanting to go to the Paris Olympics next month.
The “superfan” has previously been sponsored by the government to attend major sporting events, such as the Rugby World Cup in France, the Fifa World Cup in Qatar, and the Cricket World Cup in India.
Chauke’s comments days after Maropene Ramokgopa was announced as the acting Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture.
SUPERFAN WANTS TO GO TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS
Earlier this week, Mama Joy tweeted a picture of herself with the caption: “I can’t wait, guys, Olympics in Paris”.
The sports fan is referring to the Summer Olympics, which will take place from 26 July to 11 August in Paris, France.
However, many of her followers expressed their views that her numerous sponsored trips by the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture should be cut short.
@TshepoTC11: “Give others a chance, please. Or use your own money.
@AvainAfrica: “People have voted, and the wallet is closed, Mama Joy.”
@Unexpressed0: “Aren’t you tired of eating our money?”
@ChrisFriskin72: “Your time of FREE LOADING IS OVER…..NO MORE ABUSE OF HARD WORKING TAX PAYERS MONEY”
Joining in was incoming DA member Renaldo “Ngamla” Gouws, who tweeted: “Snowball’s chance in hell. Unless you pay your own way”.
Defending his comments, he continued: “Gravy Train has derailed. She can work and earn a salary and then use that money to travel the world.
“The kids who could have received that money for kits care, the kids who actually deserve to be uplifted and deserve that allocation of funds. Not this professional clown parading as a superfan.”
OVER A MILLION SPENT ON SUPERFANS‘S WORLD CUP TRIP
Ngamla Gouws has been vocal about his criticism of Mama Joy’s sponsored trips abroad. Last year, the outspoken DA member got into a heated spat with the superfan, whom he claims not only received free trips but was allegedly paid to be an ambassador.
Clapping back, former Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa claimed that Mama Joy had become the “face” of sports in SA.
Of her trip to France, he tweeted: “ It cannot be correct for South Africans who are refusing change to use the Rugby World Cup to push their underlying racism and patriarchal tendencies to bully and insult a woman who has built a profile as a superfan across all sporting codes from the bottom-up.”
According to an AfriForum investigation, the department spent over R1 million to send both Mama Joy and fellow fan Botha Msila to the Rugby World Cup in France. This included, flights, accommodation and other expenses.
Over the past few years, Mama Joy has attended various sporting events at the cost of taxpayers, including the following:
- Fifa World Cup in Qatar (2022)
- Netball World Cup in Cape Town (2023)
- Rugby World Cup in France (2023)
- Fifa Women World’s Cup (2023)
- Cricket World Cup in India (2023)
- Afcon in Ivory Coast (2024)
