Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie believes the business community and global markets are disrespecting the will of SA’s people by pushing the ANC into a partnership with the DA. He argues that this is driven by financial motives and a “Save Ramaphosa” agenda – but it is the wrong path for a country that has sent a clear message that it wants the ANC out of power. McKenzie reckons all non-ANC politicians, including Jacob Zuma’s MK and the EFF, should unite in a single objective of ejecting the ANC from government, which will cut off its corrupt tentacles whose destructive cadre deployment reaches into every corner of the State. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.
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Highlights from the interview
Alec Hogg discussed the unexpected election results where the Patriotic Alliance (PA) secured nine seats, slightly surpassing predictions. Gayton McKenzie, PA leader, attributes discrepancies in predicted outcomes to voting irregularities, claiming uncounted ballots were discovered post-election. McKenzie speculated on coalition possibilities, emphasizing the likely ANC, EFF, and PA alliance, which would secure a majority. He criticized the push for an ANC-DA coalition, warning it could provoke unrest, particularly with the MK Party’s influence in KwaZulu-Natal.
McKenzie expressed concerns about business and political meddling, stressing that democracy should prevail without forced alliances. He highlighted potential consequences of sidelining significant factions like MK, citing risks of instability and economic fallout. McKenzie urged the business community to refrain from influencing political outcomes, advocating for respect for democratic processes and representation, regardless of the parties involved.
McKenzie also noted internal divisions within the ANC regarding potential coalitions, predicting that the ANC might align with the EFF and PA. He mentioned the importance of property rights and addressed the broader need for cooperative governance to navigate South Africa’s complex political landscape. The conversation underscored the intricate dynamics at play and the critical decisions facing the country’s political leaders.
Edited transcript of the interview ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Alec Hogg (00:09.102) Just before the election, we asked the PIS News community to give us their thoughts on how different parties would perform. Interestingly, the Patriotic Alliance came from nowhere to win eight seats, or 1.9% of the vote. They actually finished with 2.06% and nine seats, slightly better. Gaten Mackenzie, the leader of the PA, is with us to recap a bit on the election. More importantly, Gaten, I’d like to get insights from you on the MK Party, which you wrote about in an op-ed we published yesterday afternoon. Starting with your election predictions, you were spot on with 40% for the ANC. I don’t think any pollsters got that close. You expected 25 PA members of parliament and nine. You also expected the DA to lose its majority in the Western Cape, which it didn’t. Were those optimistic projections on your behalf?
Gayton McKenzie (01:29.191) Thanks. You know, there’s nothing I eat like sour grapes, but we reported voting irregularities to the IEC on the evening and yesterday. There was vote-rigging. On the evening, the IEC told all the people to go home, leaving the IEC officials alone at the station. Yesterday, the police found uncounted ballots in France and Wellington. More than 20 parties are saying the same thing. This wasn’t the IEC job; it was done by people close to the Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape. This is not our first election, and we’ve accepted all the others. My prediction stands, and I think we were cheated in the Western Cape. How do you explain the uncounted ballot papers the cops found yesterday?
Alec Hogg (03:35.982) Okay, that’s a developing story. Let’s look at what’s going to happen with the coalitions now. You’re honest, unfiltered, and you tell us the truth as you see it. You’ve got a fantastic contact base. How do you see what’s happening in South Africa at the moment, especially since the PA could get into a coalition with the EFF and the ANC, giving you a majority in parliament? Is that even a prospect?
Gayton McKenzie (04:19.719) The easiest path for the ANC is a coalition with the EFF and PA. The most difficult path is with the DA, which business and the markets are pursuing actively. Investors want stability, but you can’t achieve that by keeping MK out of the election in KZN. They are just as big in Haoting. Forcing an ANC-DA coalition will have dire consequences. This is not about the EFF; it’s about MK, who sacrificed their lives for a better South Africa. Business should stop meddling and let the will of the people prevail.
Alec Hogg (07:57.994) Gaten, not everyone would agree with you. If the Rand falls out of bed, any government with an EFF in it will face financial turmoil. We’re already paying 20% of our taxes in interest, and that could skyrocket. The interest bill will leave no money to run the country. MK has been well-funded, and Putin’s face appears on their regalia. Have the people of KZN not been influenced?
Gayton McKenzie (09:00.103) The DA is also well-funded. There’s an obsession with Putin, but he hasn’t funded MK. If he had, MK would have won 100% of the vote. The problem is you put the Rand before the people of South Africa. The Rand has survived apartheid and the National Party. It can survive the EFF. Jacob Zuma is the most well-loved man in this country, more than Mandela. People love him. If business wants relief, we should revote, but we can’t keep the EFF out just because we don’t like them. As long as there are minerals in this country, the Rand will survive.
Alec Hogg (12:43.502) Venezuela has a big percentage of the world’s oil reserves, and the man who runs it is the EFF’s idol. MK got 1.6 million votes out of 3.5 million cast in KZN, but there are 5.75 million registered voters. Only 28% of those who could have voted did so. Rob Hurshoff says they must leave South Africa. Should KZN have a referendum?
Gayton McKenzie (14:10.983) It’s not a Zuma problem; it’s a South African problem. More people are eligible to vote but don’t. Why should Zuma have a referendum and not Helen Zeller? Zuma wants to run the country, not just KZN. The obsession with wanting to see Zuma hang by the tree put us here. 30% of ANC members will move to Zuma, taking municipalities one by one. We should deal with this issue now, not kick the can down the road.
Alec Hogg (18:01.07) Average people will care about the Rand when their transport costs go up. What’s likely to happen now? Clearly, you’ve been meeting with the ANC. They have to make a decision.
Gayton McKenzie (18:41.767) What’s likely to happen is that the ANC split into two: those who want to go with the DA and those who don’t. The ANC will most likely go with EFF, PA, and IFP. The most unlikely scenario is an ANC-DA coalition, which will last until the first vote of no confidence. Zuma’s supporters in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni will vote against CR. Our non-negotiables are property rights and misdeportation. EFF wants Malema as Speaker and Floyd as Finance Minister. There was a chance to unplug the ANC from power by bringing Helen Zeller and Jacob Zuma together, but our politicians haven’t learned from difficult coalitions in other countries. This is a test of their emotional intelligence. We have a chance to remove the ANC from power and work together.
Alec Hogg (22:52.878) Fascinating prospect. Surely all the parties are talking to each other because that’s the rational thing to do. Gaten McKenzie, president of the Patriotic Alliance. I’m Alec Hogg from BizNews.com.
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