LISTEN | 'Call me honourable': Gayton McKenzie tips his hat to Ramaphosa

Minister Gayton McKenzie says it is cold outside the government of national unity and he is happy to be led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He praised the president, who he referred to as the “glue of the GNU”, for looking past his past criticism of him.

“We at times became very personal with you. We called you names, we accused you of stuff, but you looked past what we all called you and you look at what is good for South Africa. You are a leader of leaders”.

“You have hired me in spite of people saying ‘you can never make McKenzie a minister’. Today you can call me bhantinti (jailbird) but you must say ‘honourable’,” McKenzie quipped.

Listen to McKenzie:

McKenzie joined a criminal gang at age 13 and by 16 he started his own gang. At the age of 21 he was sentenced to 17 years in Grootvlei maximum prison, where he “ruled the whole prison”.

Recently the EFF's Omphile Maotwe and Julius Malema took a jab at him for being “a jailbird of a minister”.

He told naysayers the GNU will last five years saying he is enjoying the unity.

McKenzie is the president of the Patriotic Alliance. He was appointed as sports, arts and culture minister in the GNU.

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