Human Rights Commission probes Minister McKenzie over old tweets

Zuko Komisa

The South African Human Rights Commission is investigating Minister Gayton McKenzie over old social media posts that may have breached the Equality Act.
The probe was triggered by renewed scrutiny of the minister’s historical tweets after he criticised remarks about the Coloured community.
McKenzie has apologised for the past posts, calling them youthful mistakes, and has committed to cooperating with the inquiry.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched a formal inquiry into controversial social media posts made by Minister Gayton McKenzie, which date back over a decade.^{The SAHRC’s initial assessment found prima facie evidence that some of the minister’s posts may have violated the country’s Equality Act.}

The alleged posts, originally published between 2011 and 2017, recently resurfaced amid public criticism of McKenzie’s more recent remarks regarding the Coloured community.

According to a report by eNCA, the SAHRC has given the minister until Wednesday to officially respond to its request and submit the necessary documents.

McKenzie has publicly acknowledged and apologised for his past offensive tweets, stating he will cooperate fully with the investigation.

He explained that these older posts were the product of youthful mistakes and online trolling. Renewed scrutiny of his historical social media activity followed his recent criticism of podcasters who had made disparaging comments about the Coloured community.

The SAHRC probe, initiated after complaints were lodged by civil society groups and opposition parties, is a formal fact-finding process.^{The commission has requested evidence and written submissions from the minister as part of its investigation. Legal experts have noted that a finding against a public official could lead to the Equality Court ordering various remedies.}