Sport, arts, and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has expressed his willingness to step down if President Cyril Ramaphosa suspends him after allegations made by convicted inmate Jermaine Prim.
In a recent interview with eNCA, Prim linked McKenzie and members of his political party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), to drug cartels. Prim also alleged McKenzie smuggled two mobile phones to him while he was incarcerated.
In response, the MK Party has called on Ramaphosa to suspend McKenzie to ensure a fair investigation.
Speaking to the media on Monday at the launch of the Cultural and Creative Industries Clusters at Nirox Sculpture Park, McKenzie said he would choose resignation over suspension.
“I serve at the behest of the president. If I am to be temporarily suspended, I will resign because I am doing this as a service,” McKenzie said.
“This job is not the beginning or the end of it. If the president feels I should no longer serve, I won’t even be angry. I will simply go to work for the 2026 local government elections.”
The minister said he would remain grateful to the president regardless of the outcome.
“If he recalls me, I will thank him and respect him for the time he trusted me with this portfolio. I’m not like others who depend on this ministry. I will never forget what Ramaphosa did by appointing me. I will still sing his praises even if I am no longer part of the government of national unity because I have seen the work he has been doing.”
McKenzie has vehemently denied the claims, dismissing them as baseless and threatening legal action against those involved in the interview. He challenged the lack of evidence supporting Prim’s statements.
“Anyone can say anything about you. Where is the proof? Which drug dealer says I gave him drugs? You have one madman [saying] that,” he said.
The department of correctional services (DCS) has launched an investigation into the eNCA interview, describing it as a “serious breach of protocol”.
It said: “The DCS strongly condemns the telephonic interview conducted between eNCA and offender Jermaine Prim at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre. A full-scale investigation has been instituted to determine how this incident occurred.”
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