Gayton McKenzie says he will subject himself to an investigation following uproar over use of K-word
Image: BackpagePix
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has confirmed that he will subject himself to an investigation following calls for his removal after his use of the K-word in a recent live video and older posts on social media.
"I can never be guilty of racism, try some other take down but never racism. I did tweet some insensitive, stupid and hurtful things a decade or two ago, I was a troll [and] stupid. I cringe when seeing them and I am truly sorry for that. I shall subject myself to the investigation," he said in a post on X on Monday.
I can never be guilty of racism, try some other take down but never racism. I did tweet some insensitive, stupid and hurtful things a decade or two ago, I was a troll & stupid. I cringe when seeing them and I am truly sorry for that. I shall subject myself to the investigation. — Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) August 11, 2025
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) have all called for an investigation following the live video and social media posts.
ATM submitted its complaint to the Presidency, Parliament, and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests.
In its letter, the ATM said: "Resurfaced tweets authored by the Minister contain racially derogatory slurs directed at black South Africans, language that is both indefensible and deeply corrosive to the principles upon which our democracy is built."
According to the Patriotic Alliance president, he is not racist. He attributed the posts to merely being mischievous online.
McKenzie went on to share that his mother was black and he has children with a black woman.
"I fought my whole life for the same treatment between black and Coloured people because we fought the same struggle," he added.
I'm the son of a black woman, I have children with a black woman, i fought my whole life for same treatment between black and coloured ppl because we fought same struggle. Frame 1, I call out racism, frame 2, I generally always included myself when speaking about black issues. pic.twitter.com/2sM1tiftbg — Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) August 11, 2025
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