Gayton McKenzie - from ex-gangster to South Africa's sports activities and humanities minister

A former gangster and financial institution robber who was a nightclub proprietor and opposition politician, Gayton McKenzie has now risen to develop into South Africa’s minister of sports activities, arts and tradition.

President Cyril Rampahosa appointed Mr McKenzie – the chief of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) – to the portfolio within the multi-party authorities that he introduced on Sunday after his African Nationwide Congress (ANC) misplaced its parliamentary majority within the 29 Might election.

A prolific tweeter, the 50-year-od relished his appointment, posting a photo of himself putting on football boots and, with a contact of humour, typed: “Thanks for all of the properly wishing messages, I’ll reply shortly I’m simply busy preparing, I’ve work to do 🥅 ⚽️.”

For Mr McKenzie’s admirers, his appointment is the newest signal of how he overcame adversity to realize success. He robbed his first financial institution earlier than he turned 16, then grew to become, as he put in an interview with a local radio station, a completely fledged gangster, spent seven years in jail, and vowed to vary after his launch.

“I may need had 12 rand in my pocket however I had billion rand in my thoughts. And that’s what folks don’t perceive – they focus on what they lack as an alternative of learn how to get what they lack,” he said in a 2013 interview with public broadcaster SABC.

He grew to become a extremely paid motivational speaker, obtained books about his life revealed, together with A Hustler’s Bible, and ventured into various businesses – from mining in Zimbabwe to nightclubs in South Africa – with Kenny Kunene, his soulmate from prison.

Mr Kunene earned the nickname “Sushi King” after he had sushi served on the bodies of women clad only in their underwear at his fortieth birthday bash on the Zar Lounge nightclub in an upmarket suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa’s fundamental metropolis.

The nightclub subsequently shut, as did a department in Cape City registered in Mr McKenzie’s identify following authorized motion over alleged unpaid hire and electrical energy, in accordance with the IOL information website.

“I’m not in concerned about clubbing. I’m busy with different initiatives. We killed the Zar model – there are not any future plans [for Zar],” Mr McKenzie was quoted as saying at the time.

Lately, Mr McKenzie is healthier often called a politician, having launched the PA in 2013, with Mr Kunene, as his deputy.

Greater than a decade later, the get together gained 2% of the nationwide vote and fared higher in elections for the provincial authorities within the Western Cape, getting 8%.

Its assist got here primarily from coloureds, as folks of mixed-race are recognized in South Africa.

The PA’s signature slogan is “Ons baiza nie”, an Afrikaans phrase which loosely interprets as “We’re not scared”. Afrikaans is broadly spoken within the colored group, which makes up round 8% of South Africa’s inhabitants.

“For the primary time there’s colored folks additionally going to parliament by means of the Patriotic Alliance. We’re the one get together that takes all races to parliament,” Mr McKenzie mentioned, after the outcomes have been introduced.

Political analyst Kagiso Pooe instructed the BBC that Mr McKenzie had a “bravado” model, which appeals to his constituency.

“Folks need to consider and see somebody that comes from their sort of background and isn’t shy to say, ‘That is who I’m.’ You see it with folks like President Zuma, President Trump and different such personalities,” he mentioned.

Mr McKenzie’s marketing campaign towards undocumented migrants was a vote-winner for him, the analyst added.

“Sadly, mainstream politicians and events have shied away from this and he tackles it straight.”

Mr McKenzie’s critics denounced his marketing campaign as xenophobic. He waged it below the slogan “Mabahambe”, which is Zulu for “They have to depart” – and, in a publicity stunt, he visited the border with Zimbabwe to thrust back folks attempting to enter South Africa.

He was additionally accused of hypocrisy, as his critics identified that within the 2013 SABC interview he described immigrants from different elements of Africa, together with Zimbabwe, as an “integral” a part of South Africa’s financial system, whereas “the issue with us is, black folks I am speaking about right here, we’re lazy”.

As Mr Ramaphosa started negotiations over the formation of a coalition authorities, Mr McKenzie publicly mentioned that he wished his deputy to run the house affairs ministry, which is in control of immigration.

He sought the police ministry for himself as he mentioned his earlier life as a gangster meant he was in an excellent place to sort out South Africa’s excessive crime charge.

“None of them [other politicians] are outfitted to take care of the mafias, with the homicide charges we’re seeing. South Africa wants me,” he was quoted as saying by the TimesLive news site.

He was unperturbed when he did not get the put up, saying he had actually requested for the sports activities ministry in “off-the-record” negotiations with the ANC.

“Sport can be utilized to vary kids’s lives. A toddler in sport is a toddler out of court docket,” he mentioned.

“There’s one promise I’ve made: I’ll make spinning [of cars] one of many largest sports activities on this nation,” he added in a reside Fb put up.

Automobile spinning is a recognised motorsport in South Africa – it entails autos being pushed in circles and a driver climbing out to carry out stunts.

However there are various unregulated occasions and as IOL sports journalist John Goliath wrote, stigma nonetheless surrounds it as lots of people within the colored, Indian and black townships typically do spinning within the streets, which is seen as harmful.

“The spinning of tyres began within the townships as a ritual to honour fallen gangsters through the apartheid period,” he mentioned.

Mr McKenzie has promised to make it doable for automotive spinning to happen in a protected atmosphere, and to assist to maintain younger folks away from gangsterism and medicines.

“The spinners will likely be recognised,” he mentioned, including: “When a boy has an curiosity in vehicles, he doesn’t have time for medication. He simply worries about his automotive.”

However Mr Ramaphosa’s determination to provide Mr Mckenzie a seat in his cupboard is politically dangerous, as he’s on the centre of an investigation ordered by the Western Cape authorities, which is managed by the Democratic Alliance (DA), a fierce political rival of the PA.

Till final yr, Mr McKenzie was the mayor of Central Karoo, and was accused of failing to account for 3m rand ($161,000, £127,000) raised at a glitzy gala dinner in 2022 to enhance public providers, together with repairing swimming swimming pools and changing bucket bogs.

In accordance with native media, a court docket ordered him final month – simply weeks earlier than his promotion to the cupboard – to declare sure monetary data to investigators.

Whereas the PA described the ruling as “flawed”, the DA welcomed it, saying Mr McKenzie would “soon learn that corruption does not pay off”.

The DA saved up the strain by picketing final week within the small city of Beaufort West, which is a part of Central Karoo, to demand solutions concerning the cash.

Mr McKenzie said in a post on X that he supposed to go to the world to provide “suggestions”.

“The reality shall come out. I’ve nothing to cover,” he mentioned, including: “Lies have quick legs.”