Latest news with #GaytonMckenzie
The South African
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The South African
Gayton McKenzie reacts to claims he LIED about his race
Gayton McKenzie has reacted to allegations he 'lied' about his racial background. The Patriotic Alliance leader – whose old tweets using the K-word recently resurfaced – identifies as a coloured South African. This week, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture called for the hosts of the Open Chats Podcast to be cancelled over their derogatory comments about the racial minority. On his Facebook account, Gayton McKenzie reacted to screenshots of social media users who accused him of 'lying' about being a coloured person. One screenshot of an X post said of the minister: 'Gayton Mckenzie's real surname is Makena. It was allegedly changed by his father to McKenzie during Apartheid for better employment opportunities. Another claimed that Patriotic Alliance leader's son Calvyn Le John used his mother's maiden name as to secure government contracts, a claim he has since disputed. Gayton reacted to the accusations with several laughing face emojis. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Posted by Gayton Mckenzie on Sunday 10 August 2025 In his 2006 biography The Choice, Gayton McKenzie – who was born and raised in Bloemfontein – shed light on his diverse background. He wrote: 'My grandmother is Irish, my grandfather Japanese. My father is a product of that, but looks like a coloured man. My mother is Sotho. I simply look black. 'I am not entirely clear about my ethnicity. My parents have the photographs at home, but the genetics have been shuffled with a deck of wildcards, and the result is me, someone who looks nothing like the Irish, but has their luck, who looks nothing like the Japanese, and can't think of anything I have that's remotely related to them, except the DVD player at home. 'I can't even say I'm a typical Sotho, but at least I can tell you that in Sotho. Ke ka o bolelo ntho eo ka Sesotho'. 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.
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's groundbreaking repatriation initiatives for Khoi and San remains
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton Mckenzie held a press briefing to provide an update on two important national initiatives dedicated to remembrance, restorative justice, and the dignified return of South African ancestors and liberation heroes. Image: GCIS The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has taken significant steps towards healing historical injustices by announcing two transformative projects: the reburial of Khoi and San ancestral human remains, and the second phase of the Exile Repatriation Project. These initiatives not only aim to restore dignity to ancestors but also honour the memory of those who sacrificed everything for the nation's freedom. Minister Gayton McKenzie emphasised the need to correct historical wrongs, saying: 'These are acts of justice, remembrance, and healing.' The minister acknowledged the individuals whose lives were marked by dispossession and erasure. 'Today we gather not only to give an update but to honour the memory of those whose dignity was stolen through centuries of injustice.' The first initiative focuses on the reburial of 58 ancestral remains originating from the Northern Cape. These remains, belonging to South Africa's First Peoples - the Khoi, San, and other indigenous groups - were treated as mere objects, displayed in museums or studied in laboratories, often without consent. The reburial process is led collaboratively by significant partners including Iziko Museums of South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), under the guidance of the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team. This team represents the Nama, Griqua, Korana, and San communities, ensuring that the process is respectful and reflective of cultural practices. The minister highlighted the profound significance of this act. 'It is not just about returning remains to the soil. It is about restoring dignity and fulfilling cultural and spiritual obligations,' he said. In a move to expand these efforts, discussions have begun with the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow, seeking to return more Khoi and San remains to South Africa. 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 The second initiative, the Exile Repatriation Project, aims to bring home the thousands of South Africans who were forced into exile during the liberation struggle, many of whom were never able to return and were buried in unmarked graves. The foundation for this initiative was laid with a request from Military Veterans in 2019, later recognised through Cabinet's approval of a National Policy aimed at the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects in 2021. This policy establishes a clear framework to bring home and honour those who died in exile, reflecting on their immense sacrifices. Looking ahead, a technical mission is set to commence soon, with a delegation travelling to Angola, Lesotho, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This mission will involve inspecting cemetery records, mapping graves, and conducting historical and archival research to facilitate the repatriation process. The ministry has called on the public to assist in this effort. Families of former exiles are encouraged to share any relevant information, including names, photos, and dates that may aid in locating those lost to history. Emphasising the importance of national healing and the restoration of dignity for both the deceased and the living, the minister urged all South Africans to participate in this path of remembrance and nation-building. Cape Times
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa leads initiatives to restore dignity through repatriation of Khoi and San remains
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton Mckenzie held a press briefing to provide an update on two important national initiatives dedicated to remembrance, restorative justice, and the dignified return of South African ancestors and liberation heroes. Image: GCIS The South African Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has taken significant steps towards healing historical injustices by announcing two transformative projects: the reburial of Khoi and San ancestral human remains, and the second phase of the Exile Repatriation Project. These initiatives not only aim to restore dignity to ancestors but also honour the memory of those who sacrificed everything for the nation's freedom. Speaking on the importance of the occasion, department minister Gayton McKenzie emphasised the need to correct historical wrongs, stating, 'These are acts of justice, remembrance, and healing.' The minister acknowledged the individuals whose lives were marked by dispossession and erasure, saying, 'Today we gather not only to give an update but to honour the memory of those whose dignity was stolen through centuries of injustice.' Reburial of Khoi and San ancestral human remains The first initiative focuses on the reburial of 58 ancestral remains originating from the Northern Cape. For far too long, these remains, belonging to South Africa's First Peoples — the Khoi, San, and other indigenous groups — were treated as mere objects, displayed in museums or studied in laboratories, often without consent. The reburial process is led collaboratively by significant partners including Iziko Museums of South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), under the guidance of the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team. This team represents the Nama, Griqua, Korana, and San communities, ensuring that the process is respectful and reflective of cultural practices. The minister highlighted the profound significance of this act: 'It is not just about returning remains to the soil. It is about restoring dignity and fulfilling cultural and spiritual obligations.' In a move to expand these efforts, discussions have begun with the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow, seeking to return more Khoi and San remains to South Africa. 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 Exile repatriation project – phase two The second initiative, the Exile Repatriation Project, aims to bring home the thousands of South Africans who were forced into exile during the liberation struggle, many of whom were never able to return and were buried in unmarked graves. The project represents a moral duty for the South African government, echoing the sentiments expressed by the minister regarding the importance of honouring those who gave their lives for freedom. The foundation for this initiative was laid with a request from Military Veterans in 2019, later recognised through Cabinet's approval of a National Policy aimed at the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects in 2021. This policy establishes a clear framework to bring home and honour those who died in exile, reflecting on their immense sacrifices. Looking ahead, a technical mission is set to commence soon, with a delegation travelling to Angola, Lesotho, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This mission will involve inspecting cemetery records, mapping graves, and conducting historical and archival research to facilitate the repatriation process. The ministry has called upon the public to assist in this effort. Families of former exiles are encouraged to share any relevant information, including names, photos, and dates that may aid in locating those lost to history. A path forward The minister concluded with a powerful reminder: 'These are not acts of charity. These are acts of justice.' Emphasising the importance of national healing and the restoration of dignity for both the deceased and the living, the minister urged all South Africans to participate in this path of remembrance and nation-building. 'Let us walk this path together,' they said, calling for collective action to honour past injustices and build a more inclusive future for all.
