McKenzie remembers last time facing a judge during swearing-in

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New Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie used his swearing in to quip about his time in prison.

McKenzie is part of the 76 members of the new National Executive that are being sworn in, in Cape Town.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is presiding over the swearing in ceremony at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance, is part of the Government of National Unity, following the May 29 polls.

He was sentenced to time in prison in 1996 for an armed robbery.

Zondo and McKenzie shared the lighthearted moment.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo: “So help me God.”

Gayton Mckenzie: “Modimo nthuse.”

Chief Justice Zondo “Please take a seat.”

Gayton Mackenzie: “The last time a judge asked me to sit, it was for 10 years.”

Zondo “That was a long time! LAUGHTER.”

Meanwhile, newly appointed Correctional Services Minister and Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald says his priority is to improve South Africa’s prisons.

Groenewald says prisons should be able to rehabilitate and to bring about change within the offender, so that they can make a positive contribution to society when they come out of prison.

Groenewald says he wants effective consequence management for those who are incarcerated.

“We will start with corruption; we have to address that in the department. We must look at the rehabilitation of people in our facilities. It must be successful rehabilitation; we have overcrowded facilities and we must ensure that our program should get people back into society able to contribute to SA. The part of the problem in SA in is impunity, there must be consequences for people breaking the law.”

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