McKenzie cleared of compromising MPs’ code of ethics

SPORT, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has been cleared of flouting the code of MPs after a member of the public lodged a complaint with Parliament.

McKenzie came under the scrutiny of the joint committee of ethics and members’ interest after Levona Steenkamp submitted a complaint to the committee in July over an alleged breach of the code.

In her complaint, Steenkamp stated that McKenzie made a live video on social media, which was directed at her. “The complainant states that the member threatened her with a court order in relation to an allegation that she stole Joshlin Smith,” committee’s co-chairpersons Lusizo Sharon Makhubela and Joseph Britz said.

Steenkamp claimed McKenzie abused his ministerial position to threaten her as an ordinary citizen.

“She states that the threat of legal action by the member was in response to content that she posted on social media wherein she raised the issue of promises made by the member, in relation to matters in Beaufort West, that the member allegedly did not fulfil.

“She states that he is also inciting violence against her by his party members because she does not believe in the manifesto of the member’s political party.”

However, McKenzie told the committee that his video was aimed at informing the public that he instructed his attorney to sue individuals who had been defaming him on social media.

McKenzie also said he did not mention Steenkamp’s name.

He told the committee that his video did not bring Parliament into disrepute and he had made the statement in his personal capacity and it was legitimate and lawful action for him to protect his reputation from unfounded defamatory statements.

McKenzie claimed that the complaint lacked merit and was an abuse of process.

“He states that it is another attempt by her to defame him and to gain unwarranted attention.”

Makhubela and Britz said the committee found that McKenzie did not mention anyone by name in the video other than refer to a lady from Beaufort West or Laingsburg or 34 people.

“There is therefore no direct link between the comment made by the Member and its identification of who the person is, or persons are, that the Member is referring to.

“The only way that a link can be established between what the Member said and to whom he was referring to, is if the person(s) who made the comment against the Member knew to whom he was directing the comment.”

They also said there was no comment in the video footage where he used derogatory, racist or sexist language. “The comment made by the Member that he will call the ‘patriots’ to attend court on the day when the matter is heard, does not promote violence or hate speech,” Makhubela and Britz said.

Meanwhile, the committee also did not find Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls to have contravened the code of parliamentarians.

Steenkamp complained that Sauls incited violence and behaved in an unethical manner during a live video, which was directed at her.

“She states the member painted her as a negative person and called her all sorts of vulgar names which amount to defamation of character.”

She claimed that the video led to her being bashed, and verbally attacked by the PA supporters.

In his response, Sauls stated that he used the video to address Steenkamp’s actions after allegedly trying to use her influence to ensure some members of the community lose their jobs.

Makhubela and Britz said the committee noted that Sauls undertook the live video to speak out against the possible injustice if community members are dismissed from work for a post on social media.

“The Member is speaking up for the rights of people in the video.

He does not incite violence in the video. He is stating things that she said and that was quoted by the men who made the social media post.”

Cape Times