Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has issued a fiery ultimatum to the SABC, demanding the immediate cancellation of its controversial Open Chats podcast—or face a protest of over 20,000 furious supporters at the broadcaster’s doorstep.
In a dramatic move that’s shaking South Africa’s political and media landscape, McKenzie announced that the PA is taking legal action against the national broadcaster for giving a platform to what he calls “racist and unacceptable discourse.” The storm erupted following a recent episode of the podcast, where the hosts reportedly made racist remarks targeting the coloured community, sparking public outrage and fierce backlash.
McKenzie, a prominent voice for coloured South Africans and known for his no-nonsense stance on injustice, gave the SABC a seven-day deadline to pull the plug on the show. Failure to act, he warned, will trigger a large-scale protest that could see thousands descending on SABC studios in protest.
Beyond targeting the broadcaster, McKenzie has also confirmed that he is personally suing the podcast hosts, sending a clear message that hate speech and racial insults will not go unchallenged.
This escalating confrontation places intense pressure on the SABC to take a firm stance—either stand by its content in the name of free speech or heed McKenzie’s warning and cancel the show to avoid chaos on its doorstep.
The clock is ticking.
