100 days in office: Gayton shares his weight loss journey

Gayton McKenzie has outlined a series of goals he has accomplished to mark his 100 days in office as the Minister of Sport, Art, and Culture. One of these goals is adopting a healthier lifestyle and shedding some weight.

The outspoken political leader addressed the media on Thursday, 17 October, on his new role in cabinet.

100 DAYS IN OFFICE – WHAT HAS THE DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS, ARTS, AND CULTURE ACHIEVED?

In a press conference, Gayton McKenzie shared the “good news” of what the Department of Sports, Art and Culture – under the government of national unity – had achieved.

The department claimed that its first mission was to engage with key roleplayers to identify the sector’s challenges. The second was to identify opportunities for growth and contribute to job creation.

According to Gayton, some of their notable achievements include:

• Facilitating the mission to bring home the remains of liberation fighters who died in exile in other African countries.
• Hosting the FIBA U18 AfroBasket in SA
• Assisting the National School of the Arts in a financial crisis
• Securing sponsors for the athletes to travel to Peru for the World Athletics U20 Championships
• Facilitating the broadcasting of a Springbok game on SABC
• Facilitating the reinstatement of Physical Education (PE) as a subject in schools.
• Giving education bursaries to underprivileged children and equipment to disadvantaged schools
• Sending a delegation of SA writers to the 2024 Venezuela Book Fair.
• Dissolving the Boxing South Africa board, which he claims had previously engaged in wasteful expenditure
• Engaging in talks to legalise and sponsor car spinning as an official sport
• Announcing that SA would host the World Rally-Raid Championship for the first time in SA.
• Engaging with stakeholders to bring F1 and the UFC to SA
• Investing in young athletes through his Project 300 campaign
• Investing in traditional music and sport.
• Plans to modernise museums and libraries around SA
• Plans to implement a three-day music festival in the Eastern Cape next year

GAYTON MCKENZIE SHARES WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE

Just hours before his 100 days in office address, Gayton McKenzie also gave his social media followers an update on his weight loss journey.

According to the minister, before being sworn in, he weighed 146.6 kgs. Just over three months later, the 50-year-old was happy to reveal he had lost an impressive 15 kgs.

He said: “My health is important, and feeling good about my weight.

“[Before] I looked like the minister of food and beverages, and I decided to lose the weight. I took the decision to live healthier.

Motivating his followers, Gayton added: “I did it and you can do it too. Don’t stop”.