Gayton McKenzie Says His Tweets Were Taken Out of Context, SA Roasts Him
- The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, spoke about his k-word tweets that surfaced from 2011
- He has faced calls from the public and political parties to resign, and he defended himself
- South Africans were not impressed with his stance and continued calling for him to resign
- Briefly News spoke to attorney Noma-Gcina Mtshontshi about the potential legal consequences of McKenzie using the K-word
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG — Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie continues to defend himself and said on 11 August 2025 that he would not apologise after he faced backlash for using the k-word in his tweets in 2011.
In an interview with eNCA, McKenzie denied directing his K-word slur at anyone or calling anyone with the K-word. He said that when he tweeted the k-word, he had hundreds of thousands of followers. He said there was no uproar when he tweeted in 2011.
"I was making a point, and when I made that point, why was there no uproar? Why was there no complaint? Because now they are changing what I've said," he said.
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McKenzie said black people want to own the k-word as an insult that belongs exclusively to them. He said that the k-word is also insulting to the coloured community. He said that the tweets were taken out of context.
McKenzie reiterated that he was a troll, and he cringed when he read some of the things he tweeted years ago. McKenzie believes that this is a campaign against McKenzie. He said that if President Cyril Ramaphosa fired him for his tweets, he would not contest him. He said that the calls for him to resign were not valid.
Source: Getty Images
A look at Gayton McKenzie's tweets
McKenzie responded to the racist remarks he made after ActionSA filed a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission on 9 August 2025. He said that he believed that coloured and black people are one community, which is mistakenly treated differently.
The Patriotic Alliance's suspended deputy president, Kenny Kunene, defended McKenzie and said that McKenzie was the victim of a targeted campaign against the party. He said the attack was an attempt to divert attention from the remarks made by the Open Chats Podcast hosts.
Legal expert speaks to Briefly News
Briefly News spoke to Noma-Gcina Mtshontshi, the director of Mtshontshi Attorneys. She said that the potential legal consequences of McKenzie using the K-word, if deemed to incite hatred or discrimination, include arrest and prosecution. She stated that Section 10(2) of the Equality Act allows for referral to the National Prosecuting Authority. In addition, the envisaged Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, which is not yet in effect, criminalises hate speech.
What did South Africans say?
Netizens on Facebook slammed McKenzie's continued stance.
Igcwabe Elihle said:
"Pride comes before the fall."
Keepwell Zuzumbe said:
"He thinks he is more South African than anyone."
King Solomon said:
"He thinks he owns South Africa."
Khuh PastorBae Mgabhi said:
"Gayton is like this app called Talking Tom."
Katjibane Mampedi Ntsoane Gift said:
"He is self-destructing."
McKenzie said he was a troll in 2011
In a related article, Briefly News reported that McKenzie said he was a troll and apologized for his past tweets. He tweeted in response to public backlash over his use of the k-word.
McKenzie said that he cringed at some of the things he tweeted about in 2011. However, he insisted that he was not racist.
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Source: Briefly News
