“Madiba Is Smiling”: Gayton McKenzie Toasts Springboks on Behalf of GNU After All Blacks Triumph
- Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie celebrated South Africa's win over New Zealand in their Rugby Championship fixture
- A 30-year democracy celebration match, the fixture was preceded by a half-hour doccie chronicling rugby's unifying role
- SA Rugby Union (SARU) and McKenzie's department earlier facilitated an agreement to broadcast the match on SABC platforms
Source: Twitter
JOHANNESBURG — Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, as with the rest of Mzansi, cut a happy face following the SA's triumph over New Zealand in the first of two back-to-back inbound Rugby Championship matches.
The world cup-winning Springboks pulled off a fantastic comeback to down the All Blacks 31-27 at Emirates Ellis Park on Saturday, 31 August.
McKenzie toasts Springboks on behalf of GNU
The home side had looked out of the game but rode on the wave of their opponents' inability to convert to earn a historic win at home.
Significantly, the fixture was touted as a 30-year democracy celebration match, kicking off with a half-hour documentary chronicling rugby's unifying role.
The SA Rugby Union (SARU) and McKenzie's department earlier agreed to televise it on SABC platforms in cooperation with SuperSport.
SuperSport holds exclusive broadcasting rights to all international fixtures. Ultimately, the humdinger climaxed with a result befitting of the occasion.
"This once-off landmark event will celebrate rugby's greatest rivalry. I'd like to publicly acknowledge SueperSport's generosity in coming together with the public broadcaster to ensure this once-in-a-lifetime historic game is available on the SABC," McKenzie said ahead of the match.
After the fixture, McKenzie broke out in a joyous celebration, waxing lyrical about the stupendous result. Taking to X, the minister wrote:
"On behalf of our Government of National Unity [GNU] ... every patriotic South African, [and] the rugby-loving people around the world, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Madiba is smiling. Thank you, @Springboks, you are what we should all become."
McKenzie trashes talk about being biased
In another sports unifying story, Briefly News reported that Gayton McKenzie continued to toast South African athletes whose stars are soaring.
Among the latest were SA's young guns, who further stamped their names on the international stage after the excitement of Paris 2024.
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Source: Briefly News
