Gayton McKenzie Withdraws Statement Linking Open Chats Podcast With SABC

• The President of the Patriotic Alliance, Gayton McKenzie, spoke up about the remarks he made about the South African Broadcasting Corporation
• McKenzie said he met wth the SABC and admitted that he was wrong for implicating the SABC with the Open Chats Podcast
• This was after the podcast hosts went viral for using racially discriminatory statements against coloured people

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG — The president of the Patriotic Alliance, Gayton McKenzie, apologised to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) after he said that the Open Chats Podcast was linked to the public broadcaster.

In a video McKenzie shared on his Gayton McKenzie Facebook page, McKenzie said that he met with the CEO of SABC. He admitted that he was wrong when he and the Patriotic Alliance linked the SABC to the Open Chats Podcast. The podcast recently came under fire after its hosts used racially discriminatory language to describe coloureds in South Africa.

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McKebnzie apologised and said that he mistakenly thought that the SABC was part of the podcast. He said that he also spoke to Multichoice, which confirmed that it is not renewing its association with the podcast. McKenzie said he will also reach out to YouTube and TikTok to remove the podcast from the platforms.

"We will destroy them if they let them get away with it. They must grow up knowing that racism is wrong," he said.

View the Facebook video here:

What did Open Chats Podcast do?

The podcast episode, which was aired on 25 July, featured the two hosts derogatorily describing coloured people. They accused coloured people of being crazy and incestuous, with a habit of family members sleeping with each other.

Political parties, including the Patriotic Alliance and the Democratic Alliance, condemned the podcast and took action against it. The Democratic Alliance laid a complaint against them with the South African Human Rights Commission, and PA member Liam Jacobs opened a case against them in Tsheanr on 6 August 2025.

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McKenzie also took legal action against the podcast. He instructed members of the Patritoc Alliance who are lawyers to provide a report on the action that would be taken against the podcast.

What did South Africans say?

South Africans commenting on the video slammed McKenzie.

Sbusiso P Nkabinde said:

"This one likes the spotlight too much."

Thabiso Masinga said:

"Folded like the new Samsung."

Hlogonofatso Madisha asked:

"How does a leader react without details?"

Xirhandzwa Magjay Mhlengwa said:

"There must be an ANC cadre sponsoring the podcast, and who called the shots to have McKenzie retract his statement."

Livhuwani Nkosi said:

"Kids apologized. Stop being dramatic. Or do you just want to score political points?"

Major League DJz condemn podcast's statements

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Major League DJz condemned the Open Chats Podcast. This was after the podcast made racist remarks about coloured people.

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Gayton McKenzie says his tweets were taken out of context, SA roasts him

The twins posted on social media on 6 August 2025 and said that podcast hosts are getting out of hand and speak for the sake of reactions and trends.

Minister Gayton McKenzie faces resignation calls over racist allegations

Briefly News previously reported that Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is facing mounting calls to step down after decade-old social media posts allegedly containing derogatory remarks about black people resurfaced.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to act, while ActionSA has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). In a statement, ActionSA spokesperson Matthew George said the party believed a sitting Cabinet minister should be held accountable for language that it considers “racist and demeaning.”

He noted that earlier this week the party had condemned offensive remarks directed at the coloured community, and it was now taking a similar stance on the resurfaced posts. ActionSA has also taken issue with Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson, accusing him of making “deeply offensive and racially charged” comments about ActionSA supporters, referring to them as “amapara” and “hobos.”

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News