Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka has launched an inquiry into plans by Bloemfontein's Mangaung municipality to splurge R7-million on 50 000 World Cup tickets.
It is not the first time that the municipality has bought tickets for public distribution.
In 2009 Mangaung executive mayor Playfair Morule announced that 40 000 tickets were bought for schools and residents whose accounts with the council were up to date.
Shiceka revealed the probe by his department in a written response to a parliamentary question from Cope MP Papi Kganare.
Kganare wanted to know how the council would distribute the tickets, and whether the auditor-general had been asked to investigate the expenditure.
Cope also wanted to know whether Shiceka knew about the World Cup host city's plans to buy tickets, but the minister said he had no knowledge of the council's plan.
DA tourism spokesperson Greg Krumbock had criticised the "enormous" expense and warned against the tickets being used to buy votes for the ANC in the province.
Earlier reports had indicated that Morule planned to buy 8 000 tickets for six games.
Mangaung municipal manager Sandile Msibi promised to respond to questions about the purchase, but later his phone was switched off.
Other municipal officials referred questions to council spokesperson Qondile Khedama, but a secretary in the council said Khedama was away on business in Belgium.
Shiceka's spokesperson also did not respond to questions sent to her on Tuesday.