Cape Town — The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has formally lodged a complaint with the Presidency, Parliament, and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests, calling for the removal of Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie over resurfaced tweets containing racially derogatory language.
ATM parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula submitted the complaint on Saturday, framing it as a constitutional and ethical crisis rather than a political dispute.
Resurfaced 2011 Tweets Spark Backlash
The controversy stems from social media posts McKenzie made in 2011 — when he was still a businessman — which the ATM says contain highly offensive racial slurs aimed at black South Africans.
In one tweet, he criticised the term “Black Diamond” while using a derogatory term widely considered unacceptable in South Africa.
Zungula argued that the language was “steeped in historical racism” reminiscent of rhetoric used during apartheid to dehumanise black people.
Call for Constitutional Accountability
The ATM’s letter states:
“Public trust is the currency of governance. When a Minister openly or historically expresses racial prejudice, without acknowledgment, remorse, or corrective action, that trust is irreparably damaged.”
The party says McKenzie’s remarks may breach Sections 1(b), 9, 10, and 195(1)(e) and (i) of the Constitution, as well as the Executive Members’ Ethics Act and Parliament’s Code of Ethical Conduct.
Zungula emphasised that ministers are held to a higher standard than private individuals, noting that McKenzie had recently criticised younger podcasters for offensive remarks about coloured communities.
ActionSA Also Files Complaint
In addition to the ATM’s parliamentary submission, ActionSA has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), alleging McKenzie’s use of outdated and degrading racial slurs from the apartheid era.
McKenzie Responds
Requests for comment from the Minister’s office went unanswered, but McKenzie addressed the matter on X (formerly Twitter) late Friday:
“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. I always and still fight that Coloureds and Blacks are one people being treated differently mistakenly.”
The ATM’s complaint requests that the Presidency, Parliament, and the Ethics Committee launch an immediate investigation, determine whether McKenzie’s conduct breached the Constitution and parliamentary ethics rules, and recommend his removal from office if violations are found.
