Gayton McKenzie discusses his contribution to Nandi Nyembe prior to her demise
The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has responded to allegations claiming he neglected the late actress Nandi Nyembe.
The politician faced significant backlash after actress Lerato Mvelase publicly criticized him during Nyembe’s memorial service on Thursday, 28 August 2025, igniting an intense discussion on social media.
In a statement on his official X page the same day, McKenzie asserted that he was unjustly accused despite his attempts to support Nyembe during her life and after her death.
He disclosed that when the actress initially revealed her financial hardships, he personally provided her with R20,000.
“I will never tolerate this abuse and falsehoods. Upon learning about the unfortunate circumstance of Ma Nandi Nyembe, I promptly sent her R20,000; she expressed her gratitude profusely. After being informed of her passing, I boarded the earliest flight from Cape Town to see her children. I was welcomed warmly,” he posted.
McKenzie elaborated that he also donated an additional R10,000 to cover funeral costs and facilitated the transfer of the actress’s remains from a state morgue to a private funeral home.
“The daughter was particularly anxious about her mother’s body being at the state morgue. I made some calls, and the remains were moved to the mortuary that would handle her burial. Without being asked, I also provided her daughter with another 10k for cakes and refreshments for the guests expected at the house,” he clarified.
The minister added that he arranged for his driver and another aide to support the family throughout the funeral week, in addition to his department fully shouldering the funeral expenses.
“I fully allocated my driver until the funeral date to transport them wherever they needed. I also assigned an additional person to be of assistance to the family during this challenging week. @SportArtsCultur funded the entire funeral,” McKenzie confirmed.
