Old social media posts by McKenzie, dating as far back as 2013, using the K-word to describe black people resurfaced online.
The EFF has joined other political parties calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take drastic action against Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie over highly offensive racial slurs.
This comes after old social media posts by McKenzie, dating as far back as 2013, using the K-word to describe black people resurfaced online.
McKenzie removal
In his posts, the K-world is mentioned multiple times.
“The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls for the immediate removal of Gayton McKenzie as Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture and a public apology to all Black South Africans for his repeated use of racial slurs and degrading stereotypes,” the party’s spokesperson Sinawo Thambi said.
“These are not minor lapses or slips of the tongue, they are deliberate, repeated, and deeply harmful expressions of anti-Black prejudice.”
‘Hypocrisy’
Thambo said it is also the “height of hypocrisy for McKenzie” to demand accountability from others when he himself harbours the same hateful attitudes.
“Recently, when podcasters on “Open Chats” made offensive remarks about Coloured people — calling them “incestuous” and “crazy” — McKenzie expressed outrage, opened a case against them, and demanded a public apology.
Thambo added that while McKenzie was right to be offended by prejudice directed at his community, his “double standard” strips him of any moral or ethical standing to lead on issues of non-racialism and social cohesion.
“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.”
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‘No place division’
The DA has also weighed in on the woes surrounding McKenzie
DA National spokesperson Willie Aucamp said there is no place for race based division in South Africa, no matter from who or from where it comes.
“The DA expects that this matter will be dealt with in line with the same standards as others who perpetuate hate and division, as there should be no place for double standards and hateful race-based division in South Africa, whether it comes from a podcaster, from a GNU party leader, or from singing hate-filled chants about killing people based on ethnicity.
“In past circumstances, the use of the K-word has had serious sanctions in South Africa, including dismissal, and we expect that will be the natural consequence here too,” Aucamp said.
Complaint
Action SA leader Herman Mashaba has also condemned McKenzie’s utterances.
“Racism and the dehumanisation of any person have no place in South Africa!”.
ActionSA has filed a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against McKenzie for what it deemed as ‘the repeated use of hateful Apartheid-era slurs to degrade and dehumanise black South Africans.’
McKenzie defended
McKenzie responded to the flurry of calls for him to be sacked.
“This whole campaign to find something racist I ever said is hilarious because you have now gone 13 years back and can’t bring out one racist thing I ever said. I always and still fight that coloureds and blacks are one people being treated differently mistakenly.”
While McKenzie has yet to comment on the demand for his resignation, Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene defended McKenzie against racism allegations,
This man Gayton McKenzie has never been, is not and will never be a racist. His mother is a South Sotho woman from Batho location in Mangaung, and his father is coloured.
“I know him better than all of you. Even in prison he brought a team together for expose made up of Black, White, Indian and Coloured inmates. Your campaign tony irrelevant yengeni and your cronies will never succeed, Kunene said.
The Presidency have yet to comment on the political parties’ demands for action to be taken against McKenzie.
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