Moenie baiza nie, Meneer Minister — just apologise without reservations or qualifications
After being in the news for the wrong reasons this week, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie should from now on stop using the sign off "ons baiza nie".
The bombastic businessman-politician has really flopped and blundered this time. He has failed to see and grab an opportunity to lead, to help move forward the healing and nation building project that currently needs a lot of assistance. Jy het gebaiza.
For the uninitiated, the word "baiza" - or bhayiza in isiZulu spelling - means to flop, blunder or fail in Mzansi lingo. It's not, by the way, a gangster or gansta language, as some have described it.
It was good of McKenzie to apologise for using insensitive and hurtful racial slurs that belong in our dark past, but he spoiled his apology with unnecessary defensiveness - something that he quickly needs to outgrow if he wants to continue leading society. A true leader who had outgrown his own dark past and ignorance and learned to care, show compassion and respect for all communities would have issued a proper and unreserved apology.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Open Chats Podcast faces backlash for racist comments, legal action on the horizon
PA leader Gayton McKenzie has summoned his party's legal team to take on a group of podcasters who made ugly comments about the Coloured community. Image: Sandi Kwon Hoo / DFA Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has instructed his party's legal team to prepare a response to disparaging remarks made by hosts of the Open Chats Podcast about the coloured community. A viral clip from the podcast features the hosts making racist claims, suggesting that coloured families engage in incestuous relationships and suffer from mental health issues. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Reacting to the clip, McKenzie names members of the legal team who have been tasked with dealing with the matter. "I want a report today of how we are going to deal with those people who said coloureds are crazy. I want us to use everything at our disposal. Tonight, at 7pm, I will tell our people what action we are going to take. It's racism. We must never allow people to become that comfortable," he said. McKenzie added that if coloured people made those remarks about any other race groups, it would be front page news. The Open Chats Podcast has issued a public apology via its social media pages, regretting the incident. "The intention was never to cause harm or disrespect the coloured community. Open Chats is a platform centred around open conversations which does at times touch on sensitive topics, and with that said we do understand that as a platform we should conduct our conversations in a respectful manner," it said. The apology Image: Facebook
The South African
9 hours ago
- The South African
Double standards? Renaldo Gouws on Gayton's K-word 'pass'
Axed DA MP Renaldo Gouws has reacted to news that Gayton McKenzie will not be probed over his old social media posts, which included the K-word, as they did not fall within the timeframe of him being in public office. Last year, the outspoken YouTuber courted controversy over using the racial slur. However, Gouws was shown the door by an internal party committee. Gayton McKenzie's K-word bombshell tweets have led to many political parties calling for his resignation as minister. However, Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo stated that an ethics committee could not probe the posts – dated between 2013 – 2017 – as the Patriotic Alliance leader was not yet an MP at the time. Unlike Renaldo Gouws, Gayton McKenzie's K-word tweet hasn't had any repercussions – for now. Images via X He said: 'In terms of Item 4(2)(a) of the code, read with Item 4(3)(f), conduct committed before a person becomes an MP does not fall within the scope of the code. 'Accordingly, no complaint has been opened by the registrar, and both parties were informed of this in writing earlier today. There is, therefore, no competent complaint before the ethics committee.' Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is set to make a statement on the On social media, many South Africans have questioned how Renaldo Gouws was held accountable for using the K-word, while Gayton McKenzie was not. Setting the record straight, Gouws claimed that the DA took action against him, and not parliament. He posted on X: 'It was the DA that terminated my membership with the party after 13 years due to social media and political pressure. Touching on the YouTube clips in which he said the K-word, he continued: 'The video in question was uploaded in 2010, three years before I joined the DA. The DA was also aware of the video, as I declared it to them. It was considered dealt with as early as 2013. He added: 'Unfortunately, the Federal Executive disagreed with the Federal Legal Commission's (FLC) findings, which stated I should remain as a Member of Parliament. The Fedex decided to overturn the FLC decision. A disgruntled Renaldo Gouws added, 'Almost a year later, and the DA still refuses to share the minutes of that meeting with me so that I can know why they decided to overrule the findings by the FLC. So much for a 'transparent' political party'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
14 hours ago
- The Citizen
‘We are truly sorry': Open Chats Podcast issues apology to coloured community after backlash
This is the second apology the Open Chats Podcast issued, after the first failed to calm the storm. The Open Chats Podcast team has released an apology to the coloured community and all South Africans after intense backlash over racist remarks made during episode 128. The controversy sparked national outrage, legal action and calls for cancellation. Now, the hosts are taking public steps toward accountability and education. Backlash over episode Episode 128 of the Open Chat Podcast ignited a firestorm. Remarks made about the coloured community were widely condemned as racist, sexist and deeply offensive. The clip quickly went viral, drawing outrage across social media. This prompted the Patriotic Alliance (PA) to file charges against the hosts. The controversy escalated when old tweets from PA leader and sports minister Gayton McKenzie were shared, showing him using the K-word. This sparked renewed debate and even calls for his resignation. The fallout spread far beyond the original podcast audience. It turned into a national talking point. ALSO READ: Zuma's former fiancée LaConco makes acting debut in Mzansi Magic's 'Genesis' Previous apology rejected The podcast's initial apology failed to calm the storm. Many South Africans viewed it as insincere, with TikTok users posting videos criticising the tone and delivery. The backlash only deepened calls for cancellation and heightened demands for genuine accountability. This week, in episode 131, the hosts released a new apology. They say it is 'serious, unreserved, and from the heart'. 'We take full accountability' 'We wish to unconditionally and unreservedly apologise for the hurt and harm we caused to the coloured community and South Africa at large. Our statements in episode 128 were racist, sexist, unfortunate, irresponsible, reckless, and unAfrican. We take full accountability for our utterances,' the Open Chats team said. The team acknowledged that their words had caused 'outrage and offence' across racial lines. They recognised that their right to freedom of expression could not be exercised in ways that stripped others of their dignity. Content removed and call for calm Episode 128 has since been removed from all official platforms. However, the hosts expressed regret that clips continue to circulate independently. They urged the public to stop sharing the content to prevent further harm. They have also committed to undergoing formal education on race relations at a reputable higher-learning institution, to ensure such incidents are not repeated. Working with the Human Rights Commission While the team had initially intended to approach the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on their own, several political parties had already taken that step. The podcast's legal team is now liaising with the SAHRC to reach a resolution. They said they will comply fully with any directives issued. In a direct appeal to political parties critical of the podcast, the hosts invited open dialogue. They suggested a recorded discussion could take place in the future. Plea for forgiveness Closing their statement, the Open Chats Podcast hosts expressed remorse. 'We are disappointed with ourselves and the blatant disregard we showed when talking about a vulnerable group of people. We remain remorseful and request the forgiveness of the coloured community of South Africa. We are truly sorry for the damage we've caused.'
