Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie provided a filter-free delivery in his powerful keynote at the 5th BizNews Conference earlier this month. McKenzie shared his ambition to become South Africa’s ‘benevolent dictator’ before ranting against Democratic Alliance chair Helen Zille, illegal foreigners, and anyone who opposes the Death Penalty. The former gangster, who was sentenced to 12 years in jail, shared his story and provided details of the populist policies of the political party, which started as a focal point for the Coloured voters but now has ambitions to attract supporters from all racial groups. Love him or hate him, McKenzie is a colourful addition to SA’s political landscape.
See timestamped topics below:
- 00:00 Alec Hogg’s introduction of Gayton McKenzie
- 01:17 Gayton McKenzie’s introduction
- 02:48 Outline of the four issues Gayton would address during his presentation
- 03:38 Who is Gayton McKenzie?
- 04:23 Gayton’s introduction to a life of crime
- 05:49 On becoming a General of the 26’s gang
- 06:30 On his life-changing Godly moment while in jail
- 07:31 On his involvement in the prison exposé that led to his early release
- 08:08 On his experience after his release from jail
- 11:09 On illegal immigrants
- 14:20 On the ANC
- 15:14 On Connie Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus
- 17:12 On Helen Zille and the DA
- 17:28 The five things he will do if and when in power
- 20:00 On Helen Zille
- 21:46 On Nelson Mandela
Extracts from Gayton McKenzie’s presentation
Gayton McKenzie on starting the Patriotic Alliance in 2013
In 2010, I decided, you know what, how they treat coloured people in this country is not the way my people should be treated. I am going to assist coloured people only. I started the party in 2013 called the Patriotic Alliance. In 2013, we got 13,000 votes. We didn’t get one seat. But I persevered together with the people who were with me. In 2016, we got five seats. In 2019, we got no seats again. In 2021, we were the breakout party. We’ve got 85 seats nationwide and were the kingmakers in Knysna, Theewaterskloof, Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni.
Everywhere, we were the kingmakers. And this is not me selling anything, but we are the fastest-growing political party because we are the only party you can track when a member joins us, it shows; when a member leaves, it shows.
On the guilt that white people still feel in South Africa
I want to say to white people, you know what? Everybody kicks the can down the road. It’s time for people to stop feeling guilty for what your parents did to my parents. Because as long as you feel guilty, we will not move and build this country. You know that the ANC had 30 years to get us out of this, and they have failed to do that. And I want to say to any white person here: build the country. Stop trying to defend stuff and talking about the “good old days”. Stop posting this nonsense, I see. People post how things used to be in Apartheid. Yes, it was like that for you. Wait until we start posting things about how things were looking for our parents in the “good old days”. So I think that’s just nonsense people are doing.
On illegal immigrants in South Africa
The second issue I am going to talk about is illegal immigrants. You know, the truth of the matter is that you guys are the captains of industry. You are the business people. And none of you, if you are given the choice here, will ever hire a South African. You’ve proven it. You hire illegal foreigners. Let me tell you when guys are in the diamond industry; I know guys in Switzerland in the diamond industry. I know guys in America in the diamond industry. I know guys in places I’ve never been in the diamond industry because we talk about the same type of stuff. Now, when you’ve been in jail, you know, prisoners from Germany, you know, prisoners from everywhere. It’s another community. And I can tell you now; it’s a fact: most illegal immigrants in this country come straight from jail into your house, and you leave them with your daughters and your children. I’m saying here today that farmers are being killed by illegal foreigners because you go to every farm, there are illegal foreigners.
There are no fingerprints. 90% of you sitting here don’t even know the family of your help at home. You go to the Western Cape. There’s not a single restaurant where you’ll find a South African. Some of you say South Africans are lazy. Let me tell you something. That’s a lie to suit yourself. You say those things because, number one, you know an illegal foreigner does not have a union. Number two, you know that for an illegal foreigner, you don’t need to contribute to the UIF. It’s an indictment that business people in this country have taken the posture of being against South Africans and choosing illegal foreigners.
I’m an ex-prisoner. Forget about me because I’m successful. But the normal ex-prisoner can’t find a job in this country because when you vet him, you find out. But none of you here has vetted the illegal foreigners working in your houses, working in your business. But I’ve got news for you. 2024. There will not be one illegal foreigner two days after the new government comes in because most of us have one demand for our vote.
Our vote is: all illegal foreigners should be deported. Now, if you are a businessman like I am, you can fool some politicians that have never built a $100 million company. I did. So, if you are going to plan your business around illegal foreigners, you are in unimaginable trouble. You have no idea what’s going to happen in this country because some of you think what happens in Sandton is what’s happening in the country. The reason why people like Julius and them have support, people like us who have support, is because people are angry. But we don’t see that anger. What’s going to happen in 2024? So I’m just confused.
Let me tell you, in this country, you want law and order, but you allow people to jump the border. Refugees, you call them. No, they are refugees. Refugees that go on holiday in December. What type of refugees are these? They should leave. They should leave our hospitals. And I’m not going to come here and tell you any reason why they should stay. But I’m going to tell you one reason why they should go; because of the next violence that will erupt against illegal foreigners in this country if they can’t stop the violence in Durban. And Durban only. Can you imagine if the whole country rises up? The country’s angry at illegal foreigners, and we are the ones hiring them. We are the ones, the people with money, are the ones giving them opportunities.
On what is happening with coalition politics and what is going to happen in 2024
Don’t let anybody tell you that there will not be a coalition in this country. Let me tell you, we are very fortunate in South Africa that we have one chance. It is proven that the ANC has had 20 years to govern. They have not governed. The country is going down. So let’s not talk about that. That, for me, is a fact and has been established. What must still be established is that this is the second and last chance we have to remove the ANC. The DA [member who] came closest to removing the ANC was Mmusi Maimane. That was the closest.
On the five things he is going to do if he gets the votes
Number one, I’m going to bring God back into schools, into South Africa, because God has been written out of our Constitution. Number two, I’m going to make sure that every child over the age of 18 goes to the Army. Whether you like it, whether you’re white, whether you’re black, whether you’re gay, whether you’re straight. You can throw the gun away, but you are going. Number three, I’m going to mass deport all illegal foreigners and punish business people that still keep them for a day or two. Now, you’re not clapping. I can see. Number four, I’m going to make sure that we get rid of white, black, Indian, and coloured. People will be known on paper only as South Africans. Everybody kicks the can. Everybody gets away from the racism issue.
Let’s deal with the two issues bothering this country: race and land. Number one, get away from race. Let’s be one nation under God, build this country together, and make South Africa great. Number two is the land issue. I just laugh when I see all the debates of we want the land and we’re not going to give you the land. We have this simple story of what the PA stands for. We say if you have land, that’s fine. The state has got lots of land that it can give to whoever wants land. But here is the issue: if you are a black man that wants land, or a coloured man or a white man or any man, you’ve got to have that land, and it needs to be productive. It needs to give people jobs. We need to see productivity happening on the land. If not, we will then take that land from you and compensate you.
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