Knysna high school pupil under scrutiny for using racial K-word against black students

WATCH: Knysna High School pupil under scrutiny for using racial K-word against black students

Mapaballo Borotho

• A Knysna High School pupil has sparked outrage after a video showed her using the apartheid-era K-word against black students.
• The incident follows recent racial tensions online, including backlash over the Open Chats Podcast and resurfaced tweets from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie.
• Neither the school nor the Department of Education has responded to the matter.

Knysna High School has come under heavy criticism after a disturbing video surfaced showing a coloured pupil hurling the apartheid-era K-word at black pupils who were singing.

WATCH: A coloured student in Knysna High calls black students with K word. pic.twitter.com/8OIkVdFop1

— PSAFLIVE (@PSAFLIVE) August 23, 2025

The incident comes just days after heated social media debates between coloured and black communities over the use of racial slurs. 

Earlier this month, the Open Chats Podcast sparked outrage after its hosts made offensive remarks about coloured people, accusing them of incest and claiming they turn every argument into war.

The remarks angered many, including Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who vowed to hold the podcast hosts accountable for what he described as hate speech against coloured people.

However, McKenzie himself faced backlash shortly after when old tweets resurfaced in which he also used the K-word when referring to black people.

In addition, several offensive posts attributed to him began circulating online. McKenzie defended himself, saying some of the tweets were made when he was young and did not know better, while dismissing others as AI-generated fabrications.