Gayton McKenzie under fire over board rejection

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie is facing backlash for rejecting the proposed board members for the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), citing the lack of a white nominee on the final list as the reason.

Portfolio Committee Reviews the Issue

According to IOL, the sport, arts, and culture portfolio committee recently discussed McKenzie’s letter rejecting the nominees. This came after the committee had submitted its recommended candidates for the PanSALB board.

The nominations were initially prepared by an ad hoc committee last year under the former minister, Zizi Kodwa. After public input, the portfolio committee finalized and submitted its report in early 2024. However, the National Assembly did not consider the report before the parliamentary term ended.

Nominees Selected for the Board

In August 2024, the newly formed committee revived the process instead of starting anew. They recommended 19 candidates to be considered for 15 board positions.

McKenzie, however, raised concerns about the exclusion of white nominees and previously serving board members. Parliamentary legal advisor Herman Tembe clarified that McKenzie’s argument lacked legal grounds.

Gayton on Bela Bill Protests

In addition to the PanSALB controversy, Minister Gayton McKenzie addressed protests against the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill.

Videos on social media showed McKenzie receiving a memorandum from protesters opposing the bill. The event took place at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

Addressing the crowd, McKenzie stated, “I’m not ashamed to say that Afrikaans should have its rightful place in South Africa. I love Afrikaans.”

Later, he told reporters, “I will fight for Afrikaans and for every other language. All languages should be equal.”

McKenzie urged authorities to handle the protests with dignity and sensitivity.