South Korea starts removing anti-North Korean loudspeakers on border
Shortly after he took office in June, Lee's administration switched off propaganda broadcasts criticizing the North Korean regime as it looks to revive stalled dialogue with its neighbour.
But North Korea recently rebuffed the overtures and said it had no interest in talking to South Korea.
The countries remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean war ended in a truce and relations have deteriorated in the last few years.
South Korea's dismantling of the loudspeakers from Monday is just a 'practical measure to help ease tensions between the South and the North,' the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
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The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Malema's EFF calls for ‘removal' of McKenzie over K-word slurs
Old social media posts by McKenzie, dating as far back as 2013, using the K-word to describe black people resurfaced online. The EFF has joined other political parties calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take drastic action against Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie over highly offensive racial slurs. This comes after old social media posts by McKenzie, dating as far back as 2013, using the K-word to describe black people resurfaced online. McKenzie removal In his posts, the K-world is mentioned multiple times. 'The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls for the immediate removal of Gayton McKenzie as Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture and a public apology to all Black South Africans for his repeated use of racial slurs and degrading stereotypes,' the party's spokesperson Sinawo Thambi said. 'These are not minor lapses or slips of the tongue, they are deliberate, repeated, and deeply harmful expressions of anti-Black prejudice.' Mr President @CyrilRamaphosa, you appointed a Minister who has publicly uttered deeply offensive and despicable words against Black people. Is this really the vision of unity and inclusivity that the GNU stands for? We demand action NOW! August 8, 2025 'Hypocrisy' Thambo said it is also the 'height of hypocrisy for McKenzie' to demand accountability from others when he himself harbours the same hateful attitudes. 'Recently, when podcasters on 'Open Chats' made offensive remarks about Coloured people — calling them 'incestuous' and 'crazy' — McKenzie expressed outrage, opened a case against them, and demanded a public apology. Thambo added that while McKenzie was right to be offended by prejudice directed at his community, his 'double standard' strips him of any moral or ethical standing to lead on issues of non-racialism and social cohesion. 'It is important to note that these remarks were made years after his release from prison, demonstrating that he is not 'rehabilitated' as he claims. His words prove that his outlook remains rooted in division, hate, and disdain for the very people he now claims to serve.' ALSO READ: WATCH: Gayton McKenzie gives update on Open Chats podcast as Multichoice confirms its removal 'No place division' The DA has also weighed in on the woes surrounding McKenzie DA National spokesperson Willie Aucamp said there is no place for race based division in South Africa, no matter from who or from where it comes. 'The DA expects that this matter will be dealt with in line with the same standards as others who perpetuate hate and division, as there should be no place for double standards and hateful race-based division in South Africa, whether it comes from a podcaster, from a GNU party leader, or from singing hate-filled chants about killing people based on ethnicity. 'In past circumstances, the use of the K-word has had serious sanctions in South Africa, including dismissal, and we expect that will be the natural consequence here too,' Aucamp said. Complaint Action SA leader Herman Mashaba has also condemned McKenzie's utterances. 'Racism and the dehumanisation of any person have no place in South Africa!'. ActionSA has filed a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against McKenzie for what it deemed as 'the repeated use of hateful Apartheid-era slurs to degrade and dehumanise black South Africans.' This man @GaytonMcK has never been, is not and will never be a racist. His mother is a South Sotho woman from Batho location in Mangaung and his father is coloured. I know him better than all of you. Even in prison he brought a team together for expose made up of Black, White,… — Kenny Kunene (@Kenny_T_Kunene) August 9, 2025 McKenzie defended McKenzie responded to the flurry of calls for him to be sacked. 'This whole campaign to find something racist I ever said is hilarious because you have now gone 13 years back and can't bring out one racist thing I ever said. I always and still fight that coloureds and blacks are one people being treated differently mistakenly.' While McKenzie has yet to comment on the demand for his resignation, Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene defended McKenzie against racism allegations, This man Gayton McKenzie has never been, is not and will never be a racist. His mother is a South Sotho woman from Batho location in Mangaung, and his father is coloured. 'I know him better than all of you. Even in prison he brought a team together for expose made up of Black, White, Indian and Coloured inmates. Your campaign tony irrelevant yengeni and your cronies will never succeed, Kunene said. The Presidency have yet to comment on the political parties' demands for action to be taken against McKenzie. ALSO READ: Joburg council has 'no jurisdiction over Kenny Kunene, it's a police matter,' Morero says [VIDEO]
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Julius Malema's EFF calls for immediate sacking of Gayton McKenzie
Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have called for the immediate removal of Gayton McKenzie as Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture following the resurfacing of a long history of hateful, racist, and dehumanising remarks he has made about black people. RELATED | Renaldo Gouws claps back at Gayton's K-word bombshell In a series of now viral tweets, McKenzie referred to black people using the derogatory and apartheid-era slur 'kaffir', describing them as having no ambition beyond 'collecting cattle to buy a wife' and living in 'indolence and nakedness,' a quote he attributed to Gandhi who was known for his racist sentiments. In other posts, he claimed that terms such as 'tenderpreneur' and 'Black Diamond' merely mean 'a better kaffir,' reinforcing the idea that black people are inferior and deserving of insult regardless of their achievements. Furthermore, he called our fellow Africans 'ape looking women.' ALSO READ | Gayton McKenzie responds to racism accusations The EFF claimed in a statement on Saturday that 'these are not minor lapses or slips of the tongue, they are deliberate, repeated, and deeply harmful expressions of anti-Black prejudice. 'They mirror the historical language of white supremacists and apartheid apologists, and they reopen the wounds of generations who have been dehumanised in their own land. 'The removal of Renaldo Gouws following his racist remarks set a clear precedent: those who openly degrade black people should have no place in leadership, especially in positions that require engagement with diverse communities. 'McKenzie's words have the same impact, if not worse, because they come from a coloured man weaponising the language of the oppressor against black people.' The EFF added that 'it is also the height of hypocrisy for McKenzie to demand accountability from others when he himself harbours the same hateful attitudes. 'Recently, when podcasters on 'Open Chats' made offensive remarks about coloured people – calling them 'incestuous' and 'crazy' – McKenzie expressed outrage, opened a case against them, and demanded a public apology. 'While he was right to be offended by prejudice directed at his community, this double standard strips him of any moral or ethical standing to lead on issues of non-racialism and social cohesion. 'It is important to note that these remarks were made years after his release from prison, demonstrating that he is not 'rehabilitated' as he claims. 'His words prove that his outlook remains rooted in division, hate, and disdain for the very people he now claims to serve. 'As the EFF we have consistently called attention to the risks of employing former gang members and criminals into positions of power, and we are unfortunately consistently vindicated every time McKenzie opens his mouth.' The EFF went on to add that 'the Ministry of Sports, Arts & Culture is entrusted with promoting unity, inclusion, and pride in our diverse heritage. 'It must lead outreach to the very communities McKenzie has called kaffirs and portrayed as less than human. 'Leaving him in office sends the message that the government condones such racism, provided it comes from a politically connected individual.' The closing, the EFF stated that it 'therefore, demands immediate removal of Gayton McKenzie as Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture and a public apology to all black South Africans for his repeated use of racial slurs and degrading stereotypes. 'South Africa cannot claim to be building a non-racial and equal society while entrusting leadership positions to individuals who have, without shame, demeaned the humanity of black people. Accountability must apply to all.' 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.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Thai gallery removes China-focused artworks after ‘pressure' from Beijing
One of Thailand's top art galleries removed, at China's request, materials about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and Hong Kong from an exhibit on authoritarian governments, according to a curator and communications seen by Reuters. In what the artists called the latest attempt by Beijing to silence critics overseas, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre changed many works by artists in exile in the exhibit on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders. When Reuters visited on Thursday, some works previously advertised and photographed had been removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, while other pieces had been altered with the words 'Hong Kong', 'Tibet' and 'Uyghur' redacted together with the names of the artists. Three days after the show, 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity', opened on July 24, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, 'entered the exhibition and demanded its shutdown', said the exhibit's co-curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist who goes by one name. In a July 30 e-mail seen by Reuters, the gallery said: 'Due to pressure from the Chinese embassy, transmitted through the ministry of foreign affairs and particularly the Bangkok metropolitan administration, our main supporter, we have been warned the exhibition may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China.' The e-mail said the gallery had 'no choice but to make certain adjustments', including obscuring the names of the Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur artists.
