Minister McKenzie’s deadline looming to respond to SAHRC over offensive K-word tweets

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has until Wednesday to respond to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) regarding offensive posts on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, including the use of the K-word.

The commission has launched an investigation into McKenzie over alleged xenophobic remarks and resurfaced posts, some dating as far back as 2011. 

The controversy intensified following a live video in which McKenzie used a racial slur while discussing actions taken by his party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), against the hosts of the “Open Chats Podcast.”

The podcast hosts had previously made disparaging remarks about the Coloured community.

McKenzie argued that had Coloured people made similar comments about other races, it would have made front-page news. 

In the wake of the video, several old tweets -dating between 2011 and 2017, resurfaced, reportedly containing apartheid-era racial slurs directed at black South Africans and references to the term "Black Diamond" in language widely condemned as racially charged.

The SAHRC said it became aware of the posts on August 9, 2025, following multiple complaints from political parties and individuals. 

After an initial assessment, the commission found the minister’s statements to be ‘prima facie’ violations of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Equality Act), 2000.

The commission has sent McKenzie a formal letter of allegations and said it may institute proceedings in the relevant Equality Court under the SAHRC Act of 2013 and the Equality Act.

While the right to freedom of expression is protected in South Africa, the SAHRC stressed that it is not absolute and reiterated that hate speech is prohibited under both the Equality Act and the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, 2023.

The SAHRC further emphasised that McKenzie, as a Minister and Member of Parliament (MP), is expected to uphold ethical standards. 

It also called on all South Africans to honour the values of the Constitution, including human dignity, equality and non-discrimination.

McKenzie, meanwhile, has denied being a racist, calling the backlash a "politically motivated campaign orchestrated by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and social media influencers".

"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," McKenzie stated.

While rejecting any racist intent, he admitted to having posted “insensitive, stupid and hurtful” remarks in the past, saying, “I was a troll, stupid. I cringe when seeing them and I am truly sorry for that.”

He also referenced his personal background, noting: “My mother was black and I have 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.”

McKenzie said he is open to an investigation and maintained, “I can never be guilty of racism. Try some other takedown – but never racism.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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