Gayton McKenzie has been criticised over a “tone deaf” tweet in which he commended himself for bringing Chris Brown – who has a long history of sexual and physical violence allegations against women – to South Africa in 2024. This comes amid heightened gender-based violence concerns, particularly related to the murders of eight women near the Kempton Park area.
The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture also engaged with a fiery back-and-forth with media personality Bonang Matheba on his X account.
GAYTON MCKENZIE LABELLED ‘TONE-DEAF’ OVER CHRIS BROWN TWEET
On Tuesday, 15 September, Gayton McKenzie trended on X over his back-and-forth tweets with media personality Bonang Matheba, who called the minister out over a lack of funding for South African artists.
Gaytona argued that through his cabinet, he had made a significant impact.
He tweeted: “The Chris Brown concert created the biggest job opportunities for young people in SA who were considered to be unemployable. It was the first time some received a salary. My job as Minister is always to make things easy for our promoters to bring big-name artists to SA”.
The Minister’s mention of the US artist, who has not only been convicted of felony assault in a domestic-violence case, but also linked to multiple other domestic and physical assault charges, sparked backlash online.
In the comments section, Gayton was inundated with complaints about his “tone-deaf” post.
Here’s what a few had to say…
@Maa_Mshengu: “Are you aware we are currently dealing with a GBV crisis at the moment? Read the room!”
@FaithPale: “You can’t be applauding an abuser, during a GBV crisis. Ooh, wow!”
@blackonees7: “Using Chris Brown at this stage where our beloved country cries over 8 women who had been brutally murdered is such a shame!. All your motivational talks and swindling won’t get you out of this one! Pathetic”
@Ol_etilwe: “Boasting about bringing a GBV perpetrator, mind you”.
I hate Gayton McKenzie, yerrr, he is so tone deaf. pic.twitter.com/3af4asDytI— MaBarçaUnited44⁷🇿🇦 (@ParkJimins_toof) September 15, 2026
‘LET’S HAVE FUN’
Chris Brown performed in South Africa in December 2024, just days after the 16 Days of Activism campaign ended. This came after the broadcast of an Investigation Discovery documentary titled Chris Brown: A History of Violence.
At the time, anti-GBV activists like Women For Change called on the Department of Home Affairs to revoke his visa ahead of the show. Chris seemingly taunted the bid with a jab at the organisation.
Despite the sensitive and serious nature, Minister Gayton McKenzie encouraged South Africans to support the controversial singer.
Addressing the public during his 100-day in-office update, Gayton claimed that he would prioritise hosting major music festivals in the country to attract high-profile artists.
The minister then nonchalantly mentioned Chris Brown, who had been trending at the time over a petition to cancel his shows.
Gayton said: “South Africans love dancing. Chris Brown’s concert was sold out in two hours. Our people are hungry for international acts”.
He added, “Don’t go any further, go to the Chris Brown concert.”
