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.

Debate?

The debate that has ensued, about whether McKenzie is racist or even capable of it, totally misses the point. Those slurs were not just harmless apartheid labels, classification or some stupid mistakes; they were part of the deliberate toolkit and arsenal of the racist oppressors. They were used - and unfortunately still are - to hurt, belittle, demoralise, assault, terrorise, dehumanise, destroy, and so on.

These words were used in the course of rapes, murders, racist raids and maimings. Whenever they are shot out like stupid celebratory gunfire they often land on someone or a group of people - irrespective of the intention or target.

How can this man - racist or not - who has exposed himself as being poorly educated about an issue so central to our country's history lead us?

Imagine him opening one of the social cohesion conferences like his predecessors and lecturing us!

Moenie baiza nie, Meneer Minister. Don't remind us of the late FW de Klerk who refused to properly apologise to the victims of apartheid until his dying days.