The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calls 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.
In a series of 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.”
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.
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 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 EFF, 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.
The EFF is critical of foreign ownership of South African resources.
Subzero Taffy
If you love yourself, dare not to take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time
Moonflower
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?