MK Party MP Papa Penny Urges Gayton McKenzie To Take Arts and Sports to Rural Areas
- Papa Penny sent a powerful message to Gayton McKenzie about how his department can better uplift young South Africans
- The MK Party MP urged the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture to focus his attention on rural areas, where he believes most of the country's talent lies
- South African social media users applauded his powerful message, while others claimed that the minister was more concerned with corruption than with the future of the country
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Source: UGC
Papa Penny called out Gayton McKenzie for his alleged failure to nurture young talent and make a significant change in his department.
The MK Party MP let out his grievances during a virtual Portfolio Committee meeting on 9 September 2025. The meeting was held to address the Sports, Arts and Culture's 2024/25 fourth and 2025/26 first quarter performance reports.
Papa Penny, real name Eric Kulani Gezani Nkovani, said the only reason many young artists and athletes go to Gauteng is to find opportunities. He told McKenzie that it was his responsibility to bring those opportunities to them:
"Come to us in the village, bring everything back, our culture and soccer, everything must happen in the villages.
He went on to call the department out for its failure to make a change in the 30 years that the country has been a democratic state.
On a rather controversial note, Penny Penny shifted to the minister's recent comments about the coloured community, and urged him to focus on the bigger picture:
"It's been one year with you. You're the father of the department of Sports, Arts and Culture, love them all. No more talking about coloureds, let's talk about everyone, we're all your children."
Source: UGC
Papa Penny's powerful message was met with applause from social media users, who backed his stance by ordering the government to do right by its people.
Watch his video below, posted by MDN News:
South Africa reacts to Papa Penny's statement
Online users said Papa Penny was completely right to call out the minister. Read some of their comments below:
authi_e_xap threw shade:
"This is the most sensible thing I've heard from MKP MP member so far since it was launched."
Nqobelo said:
"I still can't believe that none of my Primary and High Schools had sports fields, not even a netball-sized pitch. Until today, it's still the same. Yet we once produced former Free State Stars FC and Bush Bucks FC stars. Papa Penny is right."
FutureBite agreed with Papa Penny:
"Papa Penny is correct."
mu34447 posted:
"Even Papa Penny wants results."
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, others accused the minister of intentionally bringing the department into disrepute:
BotziMarcus said:
"Not for them to be busy giving such precious resources to their friends and family who are talentless, but just get jobs because of relations."
solani_ss accused:
"The Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture has very little or nothing to do as long as drugs and liquor are easily available on our streets. The nation is in crisis."
mqhenunu S wrote:
"He's right. In the villages, there's enough land for parks, and there are sloping grounds, wooden posts. It shows that even in places like these, children need these things."
Malvern_due added:
"He is busy making sure the blacks are moved from Cape Town and making sure blacks never unite."
VincentStarnice responded:
"Our leaders are in top positions to steal the government's money. They don't care about poor people."
Lerato Mvelase calls out Gayton McKenzie
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Lerato Mvelase's powerful speech, calling out Gayton McKenzie.
Mvelase slammed the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture and his department for their empty promises and demanded justice for the creative industry.
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Source: Briefly News
