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Steenhuisen joins calls for action against McKenzie after K-word scandal

SOUTH AFRICA —

DA leader John Steenhuisen has urged action against Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie following reports that McKenzie used the K-word, intensifying calls for accountability over alleged hate speech.

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader sparked controversy after reportedly using the racial slur during a live video addressing criticism of his remarks on the Open Chat podcast.

Several older videos then surfaced (source not provided), increasing public pressure for McKenzie’s removal from cabinet.

Speaking as both DA leader and agriculture minister, Steenhuisen told media: “I don’t think that language has any place in South Africa, just as singing Kill the Boer has no place in South Africa.”

He stressed the need for uniform standards: “There needs to be consistency, and when one party or person is called out, that consistency needs to carry through across the board.”

Steenhuisen’s comments reference the DA’s longstanding opposition to the “Kill the Boer” chant, which the Constitutional Court recently declined to classify as hate speech in AfriForum’s appeal.

The Equality Court ruled in 2022 that the song didn’t constitute hate speech, though the DA maintains it “incites violence, fuels hatred, and deepens societal divisions.”

McKenzie denied accusations of racism, stating: “I will no longer answer false racism accusations. I have work to do, elections are around the corner.”

Editor’s note: Attribution added for factual context verification.