Fact Check — Is Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie permitted to run for public office?

The prohibition may have fallen away but the person who committed a violent crime and received a long sentence for it remains. Whatever one may think about rehabilitation, I have listened to him and read about him on various news forums, and he still sounds like a thug with a seriously compromised moral compass.

As a general principle, I think people deserve a second chance, and if they are sentenced and do their time then the slate is wiped clean. Unless they reoffend, then the book should be thrown at them. There are plenty of good reasons for not wanting Gayton McKenzie anywhere near Parliament. His criminal record - and there has been no reoffending - is not one of them.

The fact that this is even an issue in our society shows how broken it is. The man is a criminal. A bloody fraudster. How on earth would ANYBODY trust him to be in charge of public funds. Good grief man!!!!

Tell me, how does he make his daily crust of bread outside ofpolitics.

To me coming from a very average upbringing, its absolutely shocking that anyone with a criminal record can be eligible to to serve in public office. Public servants must set the example and should always be role models. This Gayton guy is really something else......and really disrespectful

Gayton McKenzie was sentenced, served his term and was released in 2003. With the huge leadership deficit in South Africa, the constitution allows for equal emergence of a new crop of leaders, with the hope that a true leader of people will emerge. If there is one thing that apartheid has done very well, it is the psychological damage it has caused in the minds of many people, across the racial devide. This damage manifest in a variety of ways, that include its humiliating effects on blacks and arrogance inducing effects on whites. While the lowly educated black people that work as domestics would be too tolerant, apologetic and accepting, on the other hand, any white Tom, Dick or Harry will always assume the right to set baseless standards, pass judgements, and throw insults on blacks. Free and unalloyed-minded South Africans would know that Gayton MacKenzie has every right under law to campaign and stand for office and that voters, gormless or not, are free to make their choices. It is the duty of political parties to go out to convince the South African electorate to vote for them. No amount of insults directed to other race groups will convince them to vote different to what they had already decided to vote. As a follower of a political party, you can only assist it by behaving in a respectful manner, especially when you interface with potential voters. There are no gormless voters, just voters that your preferred party hasn't reached out to yet.