Critics slam Gayton McKenzie's ministerial performance: 'A mampara in charge again'

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit is joined by Dr Ismail Mahomed, the Director for the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Listen below:

Is Gayton McKenzie an incompetent Minister?

Dr Ismail Mahomed seems to think so. In an open letter to the minister, he writes that 'once again the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is headed by a Mampara'.

There have been growing calls for McKenzie’s resignation, with some citing a track record which includes using the k-word, populist rants and allegations of stirring up xenophobic sentiments amongst his followers.

ALSO READ: 'He makes policy on Twitter' - Gayton McKenzie's populist politics

"We know that Lulama Xingwana was an absolute disaster, Nathi Mthetwa got the national title of mampara, we know that Paul Mashatile was just hopeless in his job, and we saw what happened to Pallo Jordan."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

"Amongst a basket of rotten eggs, it seems once again that Sports, Arts and Culture has been dumped with a man who has divided our nation incredibly."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

Mahomed says the division McKenzie has caused among South Africans is one of the biggest mistakes he has made in his career.

Adding that if he were going to win any support as a result of the good he has done since coming into office, that support is likely to be erased by the current situation.

"When he got in, there were some things he did... he could have had the potential of becoming South Africa's best Sports, Arts and Culture Minister."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

"For example, when he just got in, he made himself completely accessible to the arts sector, unlike Nathi Mthethwa."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

ALSO READ: 'I'm not excited about being a Minister; I'm excited about the change I can bring' – Gayton McKenzie

Mohamed also criticises McKenzie's handling of the recent Open Chat podcast scandal.

He accuses the PA leader of wanting to lead coloured people into a 'new revolution'.

"He should simply have said, 'This is wrong. We need to deal with this. I'm taking it to the Human Rights Commission'..."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

"But what he wanted to do was utilise that to stir and ferment more tensions."

- Dr Ismail Mahomed, Centre for Creative Arts - University of KwaZulu-Natal

Time for Sports and Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to resign from his Cabinet position?

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation from Good Morning Cape Town.