Actress Lerato Mvelase has publicly condemned Minister of Sport, Art and Culture Gayton McKenzie at the memorial service of the late Nandi Nyembe. This comes after the Patriotic Alliance leader was criticised for failing to financially assist the struggling artist.
Nyembe – who died over the weekend – was remembered with heartfelt tributes at Johannesburg Market Theatre.
Her funeral service – which will be funded by the department – is planned to take place this weekend at a yet-to-be-disclosed venue.
ACTRESS SHAMES GAYTON MCKENZIE AT NANDI NYEMBE MEMORIAL
Moments after an official from the Department of Sport, Art and Culture read a speech in absentia from Gayton McKenzie, actress Lerato Mvelase took to the stage at Nandi Nyembe’s memorial service to call out the minister.
She said, “Please do tell the minister that going forward, artists will no longer allow the department to come celebrate with us. With all due respect, we are not fighting the department. It is a fight with the system that has been putting actors down our whole lives.
The actress called on Gayton to deliver tangible results instead of empty promises.
She continued: “I would have loved to hear a speech that speaks not on promises made by the minister but works on adjusting or changing the policies in place.
“How long must we hear the same speech? How long must we have the same engagements about the need for policy structures that are going to protect us as actors?
“It is a lullaby, what you said right now. And I can assure you wherever Mam’ Nandi is, her heart was not happy. I am not happy. We are not happy”.
‘LIES’, SAYS MINISTER
Hours after Nandi Nyembe’s memorial service, Gayton McKenzie took to his Facebook post to “set the record straight” on criticism surrounding his pledge to the late Nandi Nyembe.
He posted: “I will not take this abuse. Upon hearing of the plight of Mom Nandi Nyembe, I immediately sent her R20 000 for food and medication. Upon her death, her children made contact, and I took the first flight out of Cape Town to visit the family and comfort them.
Gayton added that he had helped the family with concerns they had over Nyembe’s body.
He also claims that he gave them “R10 000 for cake and tea” and made his driver and assistants available to assist the family.
Gayton added that the Department of Sport, Art and Culture would be funding Nandi Nyembe’s funeral costs.
Image via Facebook
Without mentioning Lerato Mvelase, Gayton addressed his critics, continuing: “I now see some artists that were nowhere to be seen when [Nyembe] needed help are now everywhere where there are cameras lambasting me and telling lies.”
He added: “You can try to paint me as uncaring. But I am not the type of person who can walk away from a dire situation, doing nothing, whilst I have a few coins to assist
“I can’t let these lies continue.”
I will not take this abuse
Upon hearing of the plight of Mom Nandi Nyembe I immediately send her 20 thousand rand for…
Posted by Gayton Mckenzie on Thursday 28 August 2025
DO YOU THINK GAYTON MCKENZIE DELIVERED ON HIS PLEDGE TO HELP THE LATE NANDI NYEMBE?
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