McKenzie promises to reimburse parents of Olympic medallist Van Dyk

Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has promised to reimburse the parents of Olympic javelin silver medallist Jo-Ane van Dyk. 

Van Dyk won her medal without much support from official structures at home. Her parents dug deep in their pockets for her to continue competing after finishing her studies in Potchefstroom.

McKenzie said the Van Dyks will have every cent spent in preparing and getting her to France paid back. 

“This morning [Tuesday] I spoke to Jo-Ane van Dyk,” McKenzie said as medallists Tatjana Smith, Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana were welcomed back from Paris at OR Tambo International Airport.

“She is everywhere in the media complaining her parents had to use their last money to get her there. I had a long chat and listened to her and I promise we are going to make sure we give her father his money back. 

“I am told her father put himself in debt and I commit today publicly the department should give him his money back because that investment paid off.” 

McKenzie said he stopped officials at the department who travelled to Paris for the Olympics. 

“As a minister, I am happy to do those things and not to send people there to go to find love. We are not, 'all we need is love' — love is a beautiful thing but not at our expense. 

“There are a lot of things that should not have happened such as many government officials and superfans going on these trips. People are flying business class while the athletes are struggling — even in my own office I am cutting on travelling for officials. 

“Someone in my office said they want to go to Paris and I asked, 'Which sporting code are you doing?' They said they are going there to help but we don’t need them there — it is only people who must be there who will be there. 

“We must be honest about these things — for some people they were going there on holiday. Myself and the deputy minister [Peace Mabe] didn’t go at the same time. I went and she travelled when I came back.” 

Van Dyk’s Olympic silver effort was one of three South African medals not funded through the operation excellence (OpEx) programme run by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee

The others are bronze medallist mountain biker Alan Hatherly, who is believed to have turned down the OpEx offer, and the Blitzboks, who are run by SA Rugby.

Sprinter Akani Simbine is on OpEx which also contributed to the preparation of the men’s 4x100m relay team, though Simbine’s three teammates, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Bayanda Walaza were not on it.