Thabo Mbeki Slams Gayton McKenzie, Accuses Him of Weaponising Afrophobia, McKenzie Hits Back

• The former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, put Sports, Arts and Minister Gayton McKenzie on blast
• Mbeki said counter-revolutionaries are weaponising Afrophobia for political gain and mentioned McKenzie as one such person
• South Africans slammed McKenzie and accused him of not commenting on the criminal syndicates run by foreign nationals, and he hit back

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided political analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

JOHANNESBURG — Former president Thabo Mbeki accused Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie of weaponising Afrophobia and being a counter-revolutionary. McKenzie said he's okay with being called a counter-revolutionary.

Thabo Mbeki fires shots at McKenzie

According to TimesLIVE, Mbeki published a newsletter comparing South Africa to England. England is also wrestling with the issue of migration. Mbeki said South Africa should find a way to integrate the abandoned and excluded migrants into the country and create a new narrative.

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Mbeki noted that voters who felt neglected, ignored and impoverished were vulnerable to forces that wanted to use their feelings for anti-revolutionary purposes. He then said South Africa's response to the Chidimma Adetshina saga was sordid. He then said those who take pride in saying "Mabahambe," as MacKenzie used during his 2024 General Election campaigns for the Patriotic Alliance, are in Parliament and government.

McKenzie responds

In response, McKenzie said he is a proud counter-revolutionary on his X account, @GaytonMcK. He also referred to the woman whose identity Adetshina's mother allegedly stole.

"If standing with the South African who had her who had her whole identity stolen and not with Chidimma makes me a counter-revolutionary, if calling for those who are here illegally taking jobs and causing havoc to 'Abahambe' makes me a counter-revolutionary, I am a counter-revolutionary proudly."

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View the tweet here:

South Africans side with McKenzie

Netizens were on McKenzie's side.

Ntate asked:

"Why aren't we speeding up election dates?"

mlungu waka Jevoha said:

"We are counter-revolutionary with you together."

Thembalethu Thera said:

"Thanks for standing up for South Africans when even those we regard as our leaders turn against us as South Africans and calling South African people Afrophobic for raising their concerns."

Dr Shiyak'leng said:

"Mbeki is old now. He should be enjoying life with his grandkids."

PovertyKiller said:

"This fossil doesn't know where he stands."

Gayton McKenzie pledges R67 million for sports equipment and gear

Similarly, Briefly News reported that McKenzie promised that the Sports, Arts and Culture Department would buy sports equipment and gear for underprivileged communities.

He responded to a tweet in which a netizen praised him for introducing him to different sports codes, and McKenzie said lesser-known sports codes should be supported.

Source: Briefly News