Minister McKenzie Defends Resurfaced Tweets: "You Can't Put Racism on Me"
Politic
Aug 11, 2025
ActionSA Rejects McKenzie's Apology, Calls for His Removal from Arts & Culture Portfolio
By Globalza
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba dismisses Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie's apology for racist tweets as insincere, demanding his removal from the arts portfolio and reporting him to the Human Rights Commission.
"Not a Real Apology" – ActionSA's Stance
ActionSA has forcefully rejected Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie's X-posted apology for decade-old racist tweets, with party leader Herman Mashaba declaring:
"If this is called an apology, then I don't know what apology is... He's trying to distract from the subject matter."
Key objections raised:
Minimization: McKenzie framed tweets as "stupid trolling" rather than racism
Insufficient Contrition: "You can't lightly apologize for deep hatred"
Permanent Stain: "Racist beliefs are inborn – people just hide them"
Demands for Portfolio Reassignment
Mashaba proposed specific consequences:
Immediate Removal from Arts & Culture portfolio ("a unifying department")
Potential Reassignment to less symbolic ministry if coalition politics require
HRC Complaint Filed: Formal charges with Human Rights Commission
"We cannot have him standing before 80,000 at FNB Stadium as 'our minister' while black South Africans know his history," Mashaba argued, referencing rugby's unifying role.
Political Ramifications
The controversy exposes GNU tensions:
ANC's Dilemma: Balancing coalition needs against public outrage
Precedent Setting: How historical social media activity impacts ministerial fitness
Public Trust: "This won't go away – we'll pursue it relentlessly" (Mashaba)
