‘Part of life’: Gayton defends dangers of car spinning sport
New Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has defended his decision to promote car spinning, despite the dangers.
Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie has defended his pledge to make car spinning a top sport in South Africa despite its dangers.
The newly-sworn in minister has vowed to regulate the motorsport, which is popular amongst the youth in townships and gang-affected communities.
Gayton has been vocal about how he plans to tackle his new post.
GAYTON MCKENZIE DEFENDS DANGEROUS MOTORSPORT
Earlier this week, in a Facebook Live, Gayton McKenzie vowed to put car spinning at the top of his agenda as the new Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture.
The bold statement elicited a split reaction from social media users. While some were happy to see the interests of underprivileged youth take priority, others labeled the move and the sport “reckless.”
@GaytonMcK
Instead of addressing the lack of facilities and funding in local sports, you choose to legalize Spinning! What’s wrong with you. What a reckless example for our youth. Do you know what the implications are, increased car theft, increased crime, and sure death.— Megan S. (@SimplyMegszcpt) July 2, 2024
Speaking to SABC during his swearing-in ceremony, Gayton responded to critics.
He said: “Our kids love racing and motorsport. It’s not a crime”.
He added: “A child in sport is a child out of court. I am going to make sure I keep my promise that I am not only going to legalise but create opportunities behind the motorsport of car spinning”.
When asked how he could combat the dangers of car spinning, Gayton compared the sport to other motorsports like F1.
He responded: “It’s part of the sport. When one person dies in boxing, you can’t stop the sport. We mustn’t use accidents as [an excuse]. It’s a part of life. I want to regulate it with fewer accidents and more safety. Ambulances must be on site, and the cars must be safe.
“I don’t put my mind on something [and then change it]. We’re going to do this”.
DANGERS OF CAR SPINNING
Car spinning is a well-known motorsport in South Africa, particularly amongst the youth in townships and gang-related communities like the Cape Flats.
The sport involves a driver spinning a car, usually a “Gusheshe” (BMW 325is), at top speed while the passenger performs dangerous stunts.
It is usually performed in controlled areas, but often, it is performed illegally and is unregulated by professionals.
Naturally, the motorsport comes with extreme risks like the car spinning out of control, and into a crowd of spectators. The driver or passenger performs death-defying that can often go wrong.
“I fell off the roof, cracked my skull, broke my shoulder, burnt my back. I was in hospital for about six weeks, and I was almost dead. But the day I came out of hospital, I carried on spinning, and here I am”, one car spinner told Africa News.
In a recent report, Cape Town City officials claimed that illegal car spinning was a significant concern in various communities.
