Johannesburg, South Africa – What began as a righteous campaign by Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie against derogatory remarks aimed at the coloured community has paradoxically cast a harsh spotlight on his own alleged history of anti-Black racism. While McKenzie positioned himself as a champion against prejudice in the wake of the “Open Chat Boys” podcast scandal, his intervention has been met with a powerful and critical backlash from many Black South Africans, who point to his own documented use of offensive and racially charged language.
The national conversation, initially focused on the podcast’s offensive stereotypes, has sharply pivoted. It now centers on the serious accusations that McKenzie, a vocal defender of one minority group, has actively engaged in dehumanizing rhetoric against the nation’s Black majority. This has led to a formal complaint against him with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and widespread condemnation from Black political figures and the public.
The Accusations: “Hateful Slurs from the Apartheid Era”
The crux of the backlash lies in McKenzie’s own social media history. Political party ActionSA formally lodged a complaint with the SAHRC, accusing McKenzie of deploying “hateful slurs from the Apartheid era” and using “offensive references that served to degrade and dehumanise black South Africans.”
These accusations are not abstract. Specific examples, now widely circulated, include McKenzie allegedly using the derogatory term “kr” in a social media post where he stated, “You will never force me to love a kr, I will never love a k****r.” This term is arguably the most offensive racial slur in South Africa, deeply rooted in the violence and oppression of colonialism and Apartheid.
Further reports highlight other posts where McKenzie allegedly made sweeping, derogatory statements about Black people, questioning their intelligence and work ethic. This pattern of alleged public statements forms the basis of the belief among his critics that his recent anti-racism stance is, at best, hypocritical and, at worst, a cynical political maneuver.
The Catalyst: The “Open Chat Boys” Controversy
This intense scrutiny of McKenzie’s past was ignited by his response to the “Open Chat Boys” podcast. After a clip went viral showing the hosts making offensive comments about coloured people, McKenzie launched a vehement public attack. He correctly identified the comments as racist but initially, and mistakenly, directed his fury and legal threats at the SABC, an error for which he later apologized.
His aggressive defense of the coloured community was swift and uncompromising. However, for many Black South Africans, his impassioned performance rang hollow, immediately drawing comparisons between the racism he was condemning and the racism he stands accused of perpetuating.
The Black South African Response: A Demand for Accountability
While Black South Africans unequivocally condemned the anti-coloured remarks made by the podcast hosts, the response to McKenzie’s involvement was starkly different. It was defined by a rejection of his self-appointed role as an anti-racism crusader.
The sentiment was one of profound skepticism and anger. On social media platforms and in public commentary, Black citizens questioned McKenzie’s moral authority. The prevailing view was that he was engaging in selective outrage, defending one community while allegedly holding deep-seated prejudice against another. The allegations leveled by ActionSA were not seen as a separate issue but as direct evidence of this hypocrisy.
This created a complex dynamic where the Black community stood in solidarity with the coloured community against the podcast’s bigotry, while simultaneously confronting Gayton McKenzie for his own alleged racism. The conversation shifted from a simple condemnation of a racist incident to a broader critique of McKenzie’s political identity, which many see as built on a divisive “coloured nationalist” platform that often positions itself in opposition to the Black majority.
Prominent Black commentators pointed out the dangerous precedent of allowing a figure accused of anti-Black racism to lead a charge against racial prejudice. The consensus among many was that the fight against racism cannot be compartmentalized; it requires a consistent and principled stand against all forms of bigotry.
In conclusion, the “Open Chat Boys” saga has evolved far beyond its origins. For a significant portion of the South African public, it is now an exposé on the politics of Gayton McKenzie. His attempt to champion an anti-racist cause has, in a stunning turn of events, amplified the very serious allegations of his own anti-Black racism. As the SAHRC prepares to investigate both the podcast and McKenzie himself, the nation is faced with a potent reminder that authentic leadership in the fight for a non-racial society demands integrity and an unwavering opposition to prejudice in all its ugly forms.