Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Says McKenzie Must Account For Racist Slurs

(The Post News)- The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has joined several others in calling on Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to account for allegedly racist posts he made on X.

While ActionSA lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), accusing McKenzie of using racist remarks and hateful slurs from the apartheid era to demean Black South Africans.

This follows the resurgence of an alleged old post over the weekend. In widely shared posts, the minister reportedly referred to Black people using the “K‑word.” ActionSA and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation hope the SAHRC will investigate the matter thoroughly.

The Foundation’s executive director Neeshan Bolton told Newzroom Afrika that the posts need authentication and verification, and he hopes the matter proceeds through the proper channels, such as the Equality Court, for a comprehensive probe.

“We expect better from those in public office. All ministers have pledged to obey, respect, and uphold our laws and constitution, which strongly protects human dignity. The kind of derogatory sentiments expressed on Twitter at the time require accountability,” Bolton said.

Bolton added that McKenzie must be held accountable for those posts, regardless of when they were made, as well as for any xenophobic remarks attributed to him and his party.

He expressed hope that genuine reflection can lead to change, saying, “Racists do change their views with deep retrospection; what ActionSA, the EFF, and others are demanding can be a starting point for self‑examination.”

“The minister holds a very important post in our country and is a champion of social cohesion, now if the champion of social cohesion still currently hold those views, that is highly problematic for the post that he holds, and that might have to be reviewed by the president if the processes find that he has not changed and needs to be held accountable for it,” Bolton concluded.

Please share your thoughts contact Vuyiseka email: journalist-Vuyiseka@thepostnews.net