WATCH | McKenzie says he won't apologise for 'racist' posts even if Ramaphosa asks

Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has changed his tune and says he won't apologise for allegations of racism after old tweets using the K-word to refer to black people resurfaced.

Political parties including the EFF, DA and ATM have called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove him as minister and demanded that he apologise.

McKenzie previously apologised on his X, but speaking to eNCA on Tuesday, he said he would not apologise for something he hasn't done, even if Ramaphosa asks him.

“I can’t ask for forgiveness for something I didn’t do. Why am I asking for forgiveness for some of the nonsense things I said about guys and swearing at some guys, not racism. I won’t apologise,” he said.

“Why would I apologise for something I didn’t do? Even if the president says I must apologise for racism, I will not, because I wasn't racist. Must I be so desperate for a job that I start apologising for stuff? No. I’m another type of guy.”

He said he would resign if Ramaphosa ordered him to do so.

“As far as my job is concerned, I have so much love for the president that if he tells me now to resign I will resign and go. I will continue to praise Ramaphosa even if he fires me. He hired me.”

McKenzie said calls for his resignation are invalid and he shouldn't be judged for tweets from a decade ago.

“How can I be racist? Me? Do you think 15 years ago I thought I was going to be a minister? I was a rich black socialite living life, owning nightclubs, driving sports cars, and when I became a minister I found God and changed my whole life. If you want to punish me, punish me at the ballot box.”

He described the backlash as a political campaign against him.

“What you see here is that they fear me. They’ve been calling me a 'bandit' [jailbird] and saying all sorts of things about me, and every time I beat them in the by-elections I’m the worst ‘bandit’ of all. Now they have found racism.”

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