South Africa's populist pretender
Subscribe to The Continent and get it delivered directly to your device.
In South African politics, Gayton McKenzie is the master of spectacle: raiding migrant-owned businesses; running up and down the border in an attempt to “catch” illegal immigrants. He is a larger-than-life character who, to his political and financial advantage, leans into his criminal past and blends populism, ethnic chauvinism, and a striking disregard for the rule of law.
If this reminds you of a certain Orange Someone, you’re not wrong. If America and Europe have taught us anything in recent years, it’s that it is wise to take these characters seriously. They can reshape what’s acceptable in public life – slowly at first, and then suddenly. Each chaotic McKenzie episode seems absurd and ignoble. But together, they are a stress-test of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
To read the full story, by author Niren Tolsi, download your free copy of The Continent here.
We bet you know at least one person who’s not getting The Continent yet. Change that by getting them to subscribe on WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal. Email is also an option. Message us on read@thecontinent.org and get your copy delivered to your inbox.