‘You feel as a Minister you can do as you please’ Ntsiki Mazwai accuses Mackenzie of favouritism

South African Musician and poet Ntsiki Mazwai has stirred controversy on social media, accusing Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton Mackenzie of favoritism.

She claims he deliberately left her out of the delegation attending the 2025 Havana International Book Fair in Cuba.

Mazwai, who is the sister to Lahlumlenze hitmaker Thandiswa Mazwai, also criticised singer Unathi Nkayi, arguing that she is “not a writer” and alleging that in December 2023, she was originally invited by the Cuban organisers, but was later replaced by her.

Mazwai vents out

In a video she shared on X where she made all these statements, Mazwai claims that Mackenzie acts as if he can do as he pleases as she alleges that he deliberately left her off the list.

“It seems to me that you feel as if as the Minister, you can do as you please, you can put your friends and give them tenders, and we thought that this behaviour had stopped with the ANC,” said Mazwai.

Mackenzie hits back at Ntsiki Mazwai

Refusing to let the matter slide, Mackenzie publicly responded to Mazwai’s accusations.

In a post he shared, he threatened legal action against her, stating that she had made serious allegations against him.

Unathi Nkayi not fazed by Mazwai’s comment

Responding to these allegations made my Mazwai, including the statement that she is “not a writer”, Unathi Nkayi decided to let netizens know what exactly was happening and how and when this whole feud between them started.

Taking to her Instagram page, Unathi alleged how Mazwai accused her of stealing her designs, how she was not the best selling author, and how she was “giving middle kids a bad name”.

This is what she wrote on her post:

“Do better sis because you’re giving us middle kids a bad name. Your sisters are incredible, talented, powerful and beautiful women.

“South Aaaa let me give you context so that whenever that woman opens her mouth about me you know where it started.

“In 2002 two days after I hosted the SAMAs she found my number and called me. I had never met her, had never spoken to her and did not know of her until then.

“She accused me of stealing her designs whilst I hosted the awards. As history has recorded I was dressed by the amazing Mr and Mrs Mangaliso of @Sungoddess and I have never been a designer.

“My being has annoyed her for 23 years as in uyancitheka arhawzelelwe ngumsintsila okwengathi uneworms up to a point that she now says I am NOT the BEST SELLING AUTHOR THAT I AM.

“I love you NTSIKIIIIIIIIIIIII, I’m going to reprint and do it AGAIN,” Unathi wrote.