By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has announced its leader Gayton McKenzie as its candidate for premier of the Western Cape.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the PA national executive committee which said the province would be run by a coalition government after the 29 May elections.
“In the event that the PA is in a position to enter into a national coalition after the May 29 election, the possibility [of McKenzie becoming premier] will be explored,” the party said.
“[…] McKenzie has committed himself to leading the Western Cape as it is now clear that the province will be severely hung and the PA is likely to emerge as a kingmaker, including in Gauteng which is being contested by PA deputy president Kenny Kunene.”
McKenzie is also the PA’s presidential candidate.
The DA’s premier candidate is current Premier Alan Winde.
The resurgent PA has sent hundreds of volunteers to black and coloured communities in small towns in the province to join its campaign to reduce the DA’s share of the vote to below 50%.
McKenzie said the DA will no longer have its way in the Western Cape after the party noticed that black and coloured communities were not receiving the same quality of services as white communities.
“The PA deployed me to what many deemed as mission impossible – removing the DA from the Western Cape,” McKenzie said.
“We are about to expose that myth. I graciously accepted the assignment to also be the premier candidate of the Western Cape. Die ding kom ruk (This thing is gonna shake).”
McKenzie is the public face of a dozen small regional parties in the province that have been ganging up against the DA during municipal by-elections.
In towns like George and Plettenberg Bay, the coalition has already given the DA a bloody nose.
Earlier this month, the coalition removed the DA from the lucrative Bitou (Plettenberg Bay) municipality and defeated it in a highly-contested by-election in George two weeks ago.
For years now, the DA has been on the back foot, having lost over 460,000 votes between 2014 and the 2019 elections.
The party’s support in the Western Cape fell from 57.26% in 2014 to 52.4% in 2019.
Pictured above: Gayton McKenzie says his mission is to remove the DA from the Western Cape.
Source: X
