Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie ruffled feathers with his pro-Israel stance which angered some residents in Hanover Park, Cape Town, during a debate on crime on Tuesday.
McKenzie was part of a panel in which residents raised frustrations about crime and gang-related violence. Some residents who attended the meeting wore political party regalia, painting the hall in different colours.
McKenzie compared South Africa's state of crime to that of El Salvador, saying the murder rate was too high.
“The DA must be gone in this province. The only country that mirrors half of our problems is El Salvador — 40 people die there every day,” McKenzie said, before some people from the crowd shouted: “And in Gaza?”
He retaliated, saying: “Hey, our children die more than in Palestine. Do not tell me about Palestine here. Go to Palestine; this is not Palestine.”
His comments caused a commotion among residents as some Muslims were in the crowd. Businessman and resident Nazeem Dolly charged towards the stage, voicing his unhappiness with McKenzie. Fellow residents pleaded with Dolly to take his seat and calm down.
Gayton McKenzie's 'go to Palestine' chant causes a stir in Hanover Park
Image: Eugene Coetzee/The Herald
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie ruffled feathers with his pro-Israel stance which angered some residents in Hanover Park, Cape Town, during a debate on crime on Tuesday.
McKenzie was part of a panel in which residents raised frustrations about crime and gang-related violence. Some residents who attended the meeting wore political party regalia, painting the hall in different colours.
McKenzie compared South Africa's state of crime to that of El Salvador, saying the murder rate was too high.
“The DA must be gone in this province. The only country that mirrors half of our problems is El Salvador — 40 people die there every day,” McKenzie said, before some people from the crowd shouted: “And in Gaza?”
He retaliated, saying: “Hey, our children die more than in Palestine. Do not tell me about Palestine here. Go to Palestine; this is not Palestine.”
His comments caused a commotion among residents as some Muslims were in the crowd. Businessman and resident Nazeem Dolly charged towards the stage, voicing his unhappiness with McKenzie. Fellow residents pleaded with Dolly to take his seat and calm down.
Another resident, Ashraf Gamildien, asked why McKenzie was given a platform to talk about crime.
“Fifteen-thousand children have died in Palestine and he [McKenzie] stands with a Zionist. Every Muslim wearing a green shirt [PA T-shirt] or a blue T-shirt [DA T-shirt] their hands are wet with the blood of Palestinian children,” Gamildien said.
McKenzie has been vocal about his support for Israel, lambasting the October 7 Hamas attack. “My Bible commands me to stand with Israel, my Bible tells me if you curse Israel you are cursing himself. I will listen to the Bible,” he said.
While his party enjoys growing support from communities with a significant coloured population, both Christians and Muslims, McKenzie was not afraid of the backlash. He said 89% of his party were Christians, adding: “The people in my party that stand with Palestine, good for them.”
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