Africa-Press – Zambia. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed its intention to urgently approach the Equality Court to initiate legal proceedings against Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, following the resurfacing of historic social media posts containing racial slurs, including the highly offensive “k-word.”
The decision comes after an investigation into tweets posted by McKenzie between 2011 and 2017, which were deemed to violate the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA) due to their discriminatory and dehumanizing nature toward Black South Africans.
The controversy erupted when McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), condemned racist remarks made by the hosts of the Open Chats Podcast about the Coloured community, only for social media users to unearth his own past posts.
These included repeated use of the “k-word” and derogatory references, such as a 2012 tweet stating, “Not all white guys that make black guys sit at the back of a bakkie are racist, some of these guys stink as hell an I would do the same.”
Another post mocked the term “Black Diamond,” using racially charged language.
The SAHRC, after receiving complaints from political parties like ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), issued McKenzie a deadline to delete the posts, issue a public apology, undergo sensitivity training, and donate to a charity. McKenzie, while admitting the posts were “insensitive, stupid, and hurtful,” denied racist intent, claiming the backlash was a politically motivated campaign by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and others.
He argued his advocacy for equality between Black and Coloured South Africans negates accusations of racism.
The SAHRC emphasized that hate speech, particularly the use of the “k-word,” is unlawful and carries severe legal consequences, as seen in prior cases like that of Vicki Momberg, who was sentenced to prison for racial slurs.
The commission stressed that McKenzie’s role as a minister demands exemplary conduct in upholding constitutional values of dignity and equality.
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