Gayton McKenzie: 'My mandate was never to stay with the DA and endure baaskap mentality'

Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and Central Karoo district mayor Gayton McKenzie has cleared the air on the decision to leave the DA-led coalition in Johannesburg. 

The party last week rejected the DA's last-minute plan for minority parties in Johannesburg to save former mayor Mpho Phalatse, with McKenzie saying “as far as the PA is concerned the DA can go to hell”. 

McKenzie said he felt disrespected by the DA after it shot down the PA's demands. The demands included a new power-sharing deal, which the DA rejected. 

“Events in the past week in Gauteng took me back to the times when my dad was disrespected,” said McKenzie. “The DA took the same posture, a posture that says, ‘You don’t decide, you will take this portfolios because we don’t trust you with the other portfolios, the PA might steal there.’ The audacity to shoot down our demands though needing us and deciding to choose for us. 

“I am the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, I am entrusted to get the best deal for our future plans and voters. My mandate by our members was never to stay with the DA and endure baaskap mentality.”

McKenzie said he leads with options, and the PA is a “new generation”. 

“I am not my father, he was a better man. I lead people with options. I hope I clarified [to] those that wanted us to stay with the DA, we are a new generation, and we have created options for us. We shall fight for the refund of the failed promise made to our parents.

“I want to thank all PA members who stood and agreed with our decision to leave the coalition with the DA.”