Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has ordered the expulsion of members accused of promoting rival parties and mayoral candidates on a WhatsApp group from the Eastern Cape. This move comes ahead of the local government elections, with McKenzie announcing that his party would not have an Operations Centre and War Room. McKenzie made the announcement during a live address on Facebook to PA members and supporters on Sunday.
McKenzie stated that some members had displayed ANC and DA tendencies, prompting him to take action. He mentioned that one of the implicated individuals had praised former DA leader Helen Zille's campaign in Johannesburg Metro. McKenzie emphasized that such behavior would not be tolerated within the party, saying, "They need to be expelled. It can't be when patriots work so hard."
The PA leader also addressed the issue of mayoral candidates from the Eastern Cape who had called the party's leaders incompetent. McKenzie demanded that they submit their resignation letters, stating, "You better put your resignation letters. You must all go. Here, this is not the ANC. We have a line here. You are not to insult leaders of this party." He also expelled a member from Saldanha who had threatened to work with the DA if their demands were not met.
McKenzie expressed concern about some PA members being too quick to complain and having a sense of entitlement. He cited the example of Northern Cape Chairperson Anthony Mietas, who died in an accident while busy with party work. McKenzie noted that Mietas never complained when his car broke down but had made a plan for another car, which was involved in the accident.
The PA leader also raised concerns about party spending, revealing that a councillor had asked him for R110 to buy "blue pens" at the request of some members. McKenzie expressed concern that some members could not use their own money for party activities, such as buying food for other members, while others wanted more money allocated for meals.
McKenzie announced that the party would be launching an app to track election information and provide training to those who feed information on the app. He emphasized that there would be no Operations Centre and War Room, saying, "There is no Ops Centre, no war room. You must be on the ground. I must be on the ground." He also warned PA members against egos, saying it was a recipe for failure.
McKenzie concluded by stating that he would not allow a culture of entitlement and disrespect within the party. He warned that some members were in the PA to do business and emphasized that the party's resources should not be used for personal gain. The party's treasurer-general would demand slips as proof of how money had been spent, and McKenzie vowed to take action against those who abused party funds.
Key points
- McKenzie orders expulsion of PA members accused of promoting rival parties.
- The PA leader announces no Operations Centre and War Room for local government elections.
- McKenzie raises concerns about party spending and member entitlement.
