Gayton on Andre Esterhuizen K-word scandal: ‘He is not a racist’

Gayton McKenzie has defended Andre Esterhuizen over allegations of a racial slur. Like the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Springbok has been accused of using the K-word in the past.

The incident took place in 2012 when the rugby player was just 18 years old.

GAYTON MCKENZIE CALLS ON SA RUGBY FOR ANSWERS FOR ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN INCIDENT

In a clip posted on his Facebook account, Gayton McKenzie addressed the media about the social media storm surrounding Andre Esterhuizen’s old K-word scandal.

Last month, SA Rugby, or SARU, refused to respond to questions about the racial slur during a press conference with Esterhuizen, who led the Springboks as captain in their test match against the Wallabies.

As a result, the Minister of Sport revealed that he would be meeting the organisation this week, which would provide him with a full report.

He said, “SARU must understand that people are hurt; they have not explained the issue. They have failed in explaining the rationale behind it.”

‘I DON’T BELIEVE HE IS RACIST’

In the clip, Gayton McKenzie also defended Andre Esterhuizen, urging the public not to write him off.

He said: “I am a product of second chances. People change, people make mistakes. I’m a living example.

“I hope that Andre Esterhuizen has apologised to the victim. I hope that he has seen the error of his ways. I’ve done worse things than Andre Esterhuizen and I’ve been forgiven”.

He continued: “Andre was a young boy, and he has changed. I don’t believe people should be punished for the rest of their lives. He has made a mistake. 

“We can use him to show the public that racism is not the way. I don’t believe he is a racist. I’ve spoken to one or two guys who work with him, and they have good things to say about him”.

WHEN DID GAYTON, ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN SAY THE K-WORD?

In 2012, Adriaan Andre Esterhuizen, a Matric learner at Klerksdorp High School, was accused of calling Thabo Molete, the coach of the Potchefstroom Gymnasium, a “f**king k*****” during a rugby match spat.

The then 18-year-old was found guilty of misconduct and was handed a year’s ban, which later became a six-month suspension, provided he underwent a life skills course.

As a result, he missed participation in Craven Week.

Last year, screenshots of Gayton McKenzie’s old X [formerly Twitter] posts caused widespread backlash.

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, who is also the Patriotic Alliance leader, has defended some of the tweets and apologised for a few he claims were “insensitive and stupid”.

However, he claimed that several – which contained the K-word, were “AI-generated”.

He said in a Facebook Live at the time: “I never thought people would accuse me of racism.

“In my entire life, I’ve never called anybody the K-word. We are the victims. This is a political campaign driven by the EFF, together with some influencers on X. Let them show me where I used the K-word referring to someone. They can’t.

A few days later, parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo stated that an ethics committee could not probe Gayton’s old tweets from 2013 – 2017 as he was not an MP at the time. However, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) pledged to open an investigation against the minister.