Minister Gayton McKenzie has dramatically shifted his tone on South African billionaire Johann Rupert, hailing him as a “true Patriot” in a social media post following Rupert’s high-profile appearance alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump at the White House, Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), McKenzie admitted, “Rupert is not who we think he is; he is a true Patriot. He loves this country, and I wanna be the first to admit that I was wrong about him.”
He went on to commend Rupert’s vocal stance on major national issues: “He spoke up against killing on flats, he spoke against illegal foreigners, but most importantly, he stood up for South Africa. He is a gem.”
Rupert is not who we think he is, he is a true Patriot. He loves this country and I wanna be the first to admit that I was wrong about him. He spoke up against killing on flats, he spoke against illegal foreigners but most importantly he stood up for South Africa. He is a gem 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/qlmBwnbfwt
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) May 21, 2025
McKenzie’s remarks followed a meeting in which Rupert addressed the escalating crime rate in South Africa, appealing directly to Trump for help.
As previously reported, Rupert stressed that violent crime affects all South Africans, not just white Afrikaner farmers, and urged the US to support the country with technology.
“We have too many deaths, but it’s across the board. It’s not only white farmers. We need technological help. We need Starlink at every little police station,” Rupert told Trump.
He added that he had already secured drones to help combat rhino and elephant poaching through the Peace Parks initiative.
He further explained, “If you can help us, remember, sir, you and I lived in New York in the 1970s. We never thought New York would become what it became. Two commissioners, a tough mayor. We need your help to stop these awful killings.”
Rupert linked high crime rates to deeper socioeconomic issues like illegal immigration and unemployment.
“If we don’t get our economy to grow, the culture of dependency and lawlessness will increase,” he warned.
He also criticised the leadership, particularly DA leader John Steenhuisen, for not acknowledging the severity of gang violence in the Western Cape.
Echoing Rupert’s concerns, President Ramaphosa emphasised that increased investment is vital to reducing crime and inequality.
“Crime really thrives where there is inequality,” he said.
He stressed that the main goal of the visit was to deepen trade ties and boost job creation on both sides.
Ramaphosa noted that US-South Africa trade already supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in key sectors, and said that continued economic cooperation could be transformative: “Your support, your partnership with us, is what is really going to give us the strong capability to do so.”
Get your news on the go, click here to join the News WhatsApp channel
Politics
