The Minister of the Department of Sports and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, recently called out the crew behind the People Need Comedy (PNC) podcast to delete their recent skit imitating visually impaired football fans, as it had been deemed insensitive to people with disabilities.
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“Delete this,” says Gayton McKenzie
The PNC crew made a comedy skit recreating a video captured during the Soweto Derby of a spectator narrating a live match to three visually impaired fans sitting beside him. South Africans on social media found the video touching and praised the commentator for including the supporters during the match.
However, the skit was not as well received.
The post, captioned, “Football is not a game you can play by ear,” sparked mixed reactions online, with many finding the video insensitive and tone-deaf. McKenzie demanded that they delete the post.
Gents I’m a big fan of yours but this ain’t cool or funny, delete this shit. Thanks
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) November 7, 2026
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“I understand them”
Responding to the backlash, the PNC crew shared a video of one of the three blind fans, Muzikayise Gumede, who said he was not offended by the skit.
“These people are comedians, and that’s what comedians do; they take things people view as serious and make fun of them. I didn’t hear anything offensive in that video. I even laughed myself,” Gumede shared.
👀 https://t.co/bqEENXCCOD
— PNC skits (@Official_PnC) November 7, 2026
Soccer as an inclusive sport
According to Times Live, the match’s commentator, Kamogelo Senyolo, spoke to the SABC about his initiative to bring visually impaired sports supporters to live matches. The initiative started last year, when he purchased a microphone and headphones for his commentary.
The initiative has the capacity to accommodate around 50 people; however, he states that logistical challenges make it difficult to bring larger groups to the stadium.
Featured image: Gallo Images/Grant Pitcher
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