A senior South African minister has conceded that the shambolic visa processing for the 2023 Rugby World Cup has left the country “looking like fools”. The admission came from Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi during a tense parliamentary committee hearing on Wednesday.
Motsoaledi was grilled over reports that dozens of players, officials and journalists were left stranded by administrative delays. “We made a mess of it,” he said. “The world is watching and we look like fools.”
The crisis erupted when the South African team, the defending champions, faced travel chaos ahead of their opening match. Multiple flights were missed. Training sessions cancelled. The blame game has been fierce.
Behind the scenes, sources say the department was overwhelmed by a surge in applications. But critics point to a deeper rot: chronic understaffing, outdated systems, and a culture of complacency.
“This is a government that cannot even issue a visa on time,” said opposition MP Samantha Graham. “How can it run a country?”
Motsoaledi’s candour is rare. Ministers usually defend their turf. But the damage is done. The World Cup is a global showcase. And South Africa’s brand has taken a hit.
What happens next? Motsoaledi has promised a full review. But for a nation that prides itself on hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup without major incident, this is a bitter pill.
“We have embarrassed ourselves,” one senior ANC official told me, off the record. “And there will be consequences.”
The political fallout is just beginning. Expect calls for Motsoaledi’s head. But the deeper question is whether the civil service can reform before 2027, when South Africa co-hosts the Cricket World Cup.
As one diplomat put it: “They have three years to get their house in order. Or the next embarrassment will be even bigger.”
The game is afoot.
