SAHRC to address racism complaint against Minister Gayton McKenzie over resurfaced tweets
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is under fire over his past tweets in which he had apparently used the k-word.
Image: GCIS
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is expected to meet today to consider a racism complaint against Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie over resurfaced tweets dating back more than a decade where he had apparently used the derogatory k-word.
The SAHRC complaint, filed by ActionSA, stems from McKenzie’s social media posts, some as old as 2011 containing the k-word to refer to black people.
“We must fight to protect the dignity of every South African and ensure that all, especially those serving as Cabinet Ministers, uphold the very essence of our constitutional dispensation, for which many sacrificed their lives,” said ActionSA MP, Alan Beesley. If necessary, the party said it would also escalate the matter to the Equality Court.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) also filed a complaint with the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests saying that the language was divisive and “undermines national cohesion”.
The complaint letter added that an “unrepentant Minister cannot credibly lead a department tasked with building cultural bridges and fostering unity.” ATM leader Vuya Zungula accused McKenzie of “hypocrisy” for defending the coloured community in relation to the remarks made about coloured people on the Open Chats podcast.
Zungula said the podcasters were not elected officials.
“They do not carry the constitutional and ethical obligations that a Minister must uphold at all times. The very language he has used in the past mirrors and arguably exceeds the harm of the podcasters’ remarks,” he said. The EFF called for McKenzie’s removal from office and a public apology to all Black South Africans.
In a statement the party said the comments made by McKenzie were not minor lapses or slips of the tongue.
“They are deliberate, repeated, and deeply harmful expressions of anti-Black prejudice. They mirror the historical language of white supremacists and apartheid apologists, and they reopen the wounds of generations who have been dehumanised in their own land. “It is important to note that these remarks were made years after his release from prison, demonstrating that he is not ‘rehabilitated’ as he claims.
“His words prove that his outlook remains rooted in division, hate, and disdain for the very people he now claims to serve. As the EFF we have consistently called attention to the risks of employing former gang members and criminals into positions of power, and we are unfortunately consistently vindicated every time McKenzie opens his mouth.
“Leaving him in office sends the message that the government condones such racism, provided it comes from a politically connected individual.”
The SAHRC said they would be meeting on the issue today and would issue a response in due course.
McKenzie has denied the allegations, insisting he does not have “a racist bone in his body” and claiming the backlash is politically motivated, following his public defense of the coloured community.
The controversy comes shortly after he instructed his party’s legal team to take action against the Open Chats podcast in light of demeaning remarks they made about coloured people.
“I’m paying this price with a smile. Coloured people are not supposed to stand up and fight back, we must be insulted and crawl back into our corner. My crime is to lead the protest against those racist young people. A full campaign is now on to brand me as a racist against black people, I have fought my whole life for Coloured and Black unity, I am the son of a black mother. I was born from different races.
“I have been met with anger and accusations from different quarters. People are more angry at Coloured people instead of the racist podcasters. This is why I am happy that we have the Patriotic Alliance, I don’t have a racist bone in my body. I have always advocated for unity amongst races. We are one nation under God. They can all come for me, ek baiza nie because I belong to the green army. We shall not be deterred nor shall we falter, we are also human,” McKenzie said.
Former DA MP Renaldo Gouws lost his Parliamentary seat after the party terminated his membership over a series of videos in which he launched an attack on black people including using the k-word. Gouws reached a settlement with the SAHRC