‘I am not the minister of funerals,’ says McKenzie

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie says he is concerned about South African artists dying broke.

Mckenzie briefed the media on his 100 days in office on Thursday at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.

He said he had noticed a pattern of several South African artists not having money for burial or medical aid.

R50 000 casket

“It’s insulting that a person did not have bread, but you put them in a casket for R50 000. It’s not right, we should not fight for artists to be buried.”

He said he had even contributed to the funeral of Kwaito legend Sandile “Mapaputsi” Ngwenya who recently died.

“We are not here to bury artists. Artists need to live a life that is so good that they can bury themselves.

“I want to make it clear, I am not the minister of funerals. I am not the minister of condolences,” he added.

ALSO READ: Gayton McKenzie says street names shouldn’t be changed to hurt whites

Mckenzie said he had introduced a new innovation that would ensure that South African artists do not “become poor”.

“Artists are poor because they get exploited by their record labels. They are also poor because the people representing them cannot even account for the money that we give them.”

Lawyers for artists

Mckenzie said sometimes artists would represent themselves while negotiating contracts but would get exploited.

He said from now on, government would make a group of lawyers available to help artists with their contracts, free of charge.

“I called a group of lawyers of the arts and I said to them, ‘we will pay you as government’. You must look through each contract each artist is going to sign in this country.”

Mckenzie said he was working with the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure that artists should be recognised as workers.

Over the years, many artists have complained to government to help artists sustain their livelihoods instead of paying for their funerals. Different sports, arts and culture ministers have been dubbed “minister of funerals” because of their attendance at the funerals of artists and sports legends.

Mckenzie defends Olympic trip: ‘I’m no Joyrider’

On the other hand, Mckenzie used his press briefing to express his discontent with the negative reports on his trip to the Olympic Games in Paris.

“Now you want to portray me as a person who is taking a joyride. That thing you can do with other ministers; you have chosen the wrong one.”

Mckenzie said as a businessman, he is used to flying first class but as a minister he has since had to downgrade to business class.

ALSO READ: Trouble brewing in GNU? McKenzie unhappy as his deputy condemns Israel’s participation at Olympics

“Internationally, the Ministerial Handbook demands of me to fly business and not first class. I am mentioning this so people can know that I have not done anything outside the handbook.”

Mckenzie said if he has to account for his international trips then all ministers should also account.

“If I have to account, we expect every minister to account, because this is important to all of you.”