“You Don’t Know What’s Coming”: Gayton McKenzie’s Defiant Statement Divides South Africans
- Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has responded to calls for his removal as a minister
- The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture is in hot water for using the K word in tweets in 2011
- South Africans shared mixed reactions to McKenzie's defiant stance about calls for his resignation
- Briefly News spoke to Noma-Gcina Mtshontshi about the impact of the public's perception
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG - “That time when Coloured people are second-class citizens is over. It’s over.”
That’s the message from Gayton McKenzie, who remains defiant in the face of recent controversy. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture is in hot water after tweets he made in 2011 resurfaced. In the tweets, the minister used the K word, something he deeply regrets now.
With calls being made for him to be removed as minister, the Patriotic Alliance leader warned what would happen if he were.
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What did McKenzie say?
During a live video, McKenzie said that he works day and night for the people of South Africa because he was given the opportunity by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the last thing he wanted to do was humiliate him.
“So, you don’t know if, for some reason, I’m going to the ground, and I’m no longer a minister, you don’t know what’s coming,” he said.
The Economic Freedom Fighters demanded his immediate removal after the tweets resurfaced, while the African Transformation Movement urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action.
The Democratic Alliance also condemned his statements, saying they hope it was dealt with in line with the same standards as others who perpetuate hate and division.
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McKenzie says Coloureds want to be treated equally
The minister added that the time when Coloureds were told that they weren’t white enough or black enough was over.
“We don’t want to be treated better than black people, because they are our brothers and sisters. We want to be treated equally,” he stated.
Briefly News speaks to expert
Noma-Gcina Mtshontshi, the director of Mtshontshi Attorneys, spoke to Briefly News about the impact of the public's outrage.
"Conviction or acquittal must be based on the evidence placed before the court. The effect on the public may be used in mitigation and aggravation relating to sentencing," she said.
How did South Africans react to McKenzie’s statement?
Social media users were divided by McKenzie's comments, with some questioning whether he was trying to threaten the president into keeping him.
@Xolani_khabazel said:
“This guy should have just written a statement and apologised, but instead he’s making threats on a video. Yoh.”
@XFactor079 suggested:
“Gayton McKenzie needs to hire a PR team and a spokesperson. What he is saying here can easily be misinterpreted as a threat to Ramaphosa, or maybe it is. Not so outright. The PA have given coloured people a voice and would not personally want to see its disappearance.”
@UKwaneleMthalan stated:
“Nothing will come. He mustn't try and scare us. He must be removed from Parliament, and he must take his partner in crime with him.”
@TheKiffness joked:
“Translation: If you remove me, I'm going to go gangster on you.”
@RoundHouseBet stated:
“It’s exactly how a gangster operates.”
@HowieCombrink added:
“And just like that, with a bit of pressure, the true colours begin to show.”
McKenzie responds to racist allegations
Briefly News reported that Minister McKenzie clapped back at people calling him a racist.
He stated that a campaign alleging he is a racist over comments he made years back is laughable.
ActionSA filed a complaint against the minister with the South African Human Rights Commission.
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Source: Briefly News
Byron Pillay (Current Affairs Editor) Byron Pillay is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He received a Diploma in Journalism from the Caxton Cadet School. He spent 15 years covering politics, crime and current affairs. He was also the Head of Department for Sports Brief, where he covered both local and international sporting news. Email: byron.pillay@briefly.co.za
Noma-Gcina Mtshontshi (Founder of Mtshontshi Attorneys) Noma-Gcina left her role as a Senior Manager in the Forensic division of Deloitte & Touche in 2018, where she led investigations into fraud and corruption in both private and public sectors. With over 20 years in forensics, she has deep expertise in public sector procurement, supply chain management, and labour law. In July 2016, she founded Mtshontshi Attorneys in Pretoria and began running it full-time in March 2018, focusing on forensic investigations, litigation, labour law, commercial law, and family law.
