Sports and Recreation Minister, Fikile Mbalula has dismissed allegations that implicate the South African government in corruption relating to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. (SABC)

Sports and Recreation Minister, Fikile Mbalula has dismissed allegations made in a that the country paid R120 million in bribes to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

On Thursday, the US justice department arrested seven people in Switzerland and banned nine officials named by the US Department of Justice in their indictments on corruption charges.

Speaking at the SASCOC House in Johannesburg, Mbalula says that all financial records were audited and there is no record of fraudulent payments for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“South Africa’s Department of Sports and Recreation hereby indicates that all funding by government was transferred via the National Treasury to the national Department of Sports and Recreation and that no such amount was paid by the department Sport and Recreation and the government of SA to any individual. “Our financial records and books for the 2010/2011 financial year for the period of the 2010 World Cup have been audited by the Auditor General of SA and no such amount has been found in our books.”

Mbalula says that the department will request a copy of the indictment from the United States and will follow up on the investigation.

“We have noted with keen interest the allegations from the attorney general of the US, and we will follow on their investigation. We will approach the Department of International Relations and Co-operation to request through the diplomatic channels existing between the two countries, the copy of the indictment, to establish the basis on which the allegations are being made, as this has the potential of tarnishing the name and people of our country globally and put into question the competence of our nation of organising major events.”