ROAD TO 2024 ELECTIONS
Five parties join forces with Gayton McKenzie’s PA to take on DA in Western Cape
The race for votes in the Western Cape is heating up, with the Patriotic Alliance cooperating with five smaller parties with seats in a handful of councils to reduce the DA’s majority.
The competition for votes in the Western Cape is heating up with only six weeks left until South Africans cast their ballots on 29 May.
The DA has dominated in the province for more than a decade. However, recent polls indicate that its majority might be at risk.
On Tuesday, Patriotic Alliance (PA) president and Western Cape premier candidate Gayton McKenzie announced the names of five parties and their leaders who have opted not to contest the general elections and will instead campaign in favour of the PA.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Elections 2024
They are regional parties mostly from rural areas of the province which came on to the scene in the 2021 local elections. Daily Maverick understands that owing to budgetary constraints, the parties decided to campaign under the PA and push for McKenzie to be the next premier.
PA leader Gayton McKenzie is announcing five parties that will campaign for the PA in the upcoming elections. The parties come from Oudtshoorn, Witzenberg, Prince Albert and Beaufort West. This is one of the grand plans to take the DA below the 50% support in the province pic.twitter.com/83iD1IrGm5
— Veve (@LudidiVelani) April 16, 2024
The five parties are:
- Advieskantoor, led by Leon Campher;
- The Karoo Gemeenskap Party (KGP), led by Goliath Lottering;
- The Karoo Democratic Force (KDF), led by Noël Constable;
- The Oudtshoorn Gemeenskap Initiatief, led by Colin Sylvester; and
- Witzenberg Aksie, led by Gert Laban.
“Western Cape is about to change,” McKenzie said.
“We are taking back the province. The PA began establishing this relationship with these leaders and parties last year already, and this alliance has only gone from strength to strength.
“These leaders have realised the value of standing with the PA and not splitting their constituencies’ vote, as we all want what is best for South Africa and the Western Cape, and the PA represents the strongest opportunity, as the fastest-growing party in the country, to make the voices of South Africa’s long-disenfranchised voters count most.”
McKenzie took a swipe at the Multi-Party Charter, composed of 11 parties including the DA, IFP, ActionSA, ACDP and Freedom Front Plus, saying he was not just bringing together registered parties, but parties that had a track record of winning seats in councils.
“In that Multi-Party Charter, Isanco and the Spectrum [National] Party have never won anything. We are bringing you parties that have representation in councils in the Western Cape. We are inviting parties to support the PA,” he said.
The alliance does not come as a surprise as the PA is already working with the KDF in the Central Karoo District Municipality, where McKenzie was mayor for a year. In Prince Albert Municipality, the PA did not field a candidate for last year’s by-election and supported the KGP’s candidate.
Shifting alliances
Last week, the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) announced it would support Marius Fransman’s People’s Movement for Change (PMC) in the general election.
The PMC recently gained two notable new members, former Cape Town mayor Dan Plato and Nceba Enge, the Western Cape deputy chairperson of the SA National Taxi Council, who is the party’s secretary-general
Read more in Daily Maverick: Faction-ridden Icosa to support People’s Movement for Change after poll registration failure
Daily Maverick reported last year that three small parties in Oudtshoorn would collaborate with the PA in the 2024 national and provincial elections to “defeat both the DA and the ANC in the Western Cape”.
“[DA leader] John [Steenhuisen] is panicking because he knows what is coming,” said McKenzie.
“He complains that we speak about the DA only. The ANC is dead in the Western Cape; I will not speak about the dead. We speak about the people in power. In the Northern Cape, we do not mention the DA because they are dead.”
McKenzie will campaign in Cape Town as winning the battle of the province relies on the Cape Town metro, where two million of Western Cape’s three million registered voters live.
McKenzie said if elected as premier of the Western Cape, he would eradicate gangsterism, address land redistribution and expel undocumented foreigners.
While he wants to replace the DA in the province, he said working with the party was not off the table.
“We are the only party that has said that we are open to working with anyone. We represent constituencies and if their needs are met, we do not care if it is the DA, ANC or whoever… We must change the lives of our people.”
DA confident
Steenhuisen, speaking at a DA campaign event on Tuesday evening, told party supporters that there was only one reason the Western Cape worked while the rest of South Africa was broken: “Because the people of the Western Cape are united behind the DA.
“The people of the Western Cape know that eight out of every 10 new jobs created in the whole [of] South Africa over the past five years, come from this one province — because this province is led by the DA.
“The people of the Western Cape know that unemployment in this province is about to dip below 20% while the rest of the country sits with unemployment above 40% — because this province is led by the DA.”
The DA won 55.45% of the vote in Western Cape in 2019. Some polls have suggested its support in the province could drop by a few percentage points, while opposition parties are hoping to cut its support to below 50% and force it into a coalition. DM
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Mckenzie i dont trust him even if i can see him
So who do you trust JC
the least corrupt party Coen
Are politicians really required today? They all seem to have wonky perspectives. Julius thinks he is fighting some war, when actually he is just trying to steal everything. Gayton is taking back the Western Cape even though it was never his. We need people to help run our towns, cities and the country, not politicians.
When the mission of a political party is to get another one out of power they must use other means not votes.
The gift of the givers must start teaching these politicians what serving people is.
This country is being turned into a political school for amateurs to experiment at people’s expense.
Limit parties who contest to 3 because this clutter is going backwards faster than you can call the name.
Agree,connect the dots with Mackenzie,beaufort west/ fracking,pdace role in construction mafia in Valhalla park/he still interested in airport at B west?
Whilst I cannot and will not support the PA, the fact that they are targeting the Coloured community is very significant, considering the DA has failed to do that apart from the better-off Coloureds. With predominant White leadership, the DA’s obvious support base happens to be Whites. But Whites only represent 16% of the WC population, and Coloureds 60%. Africans represent 23%. If it was not for their strong base in the Cape Metro, the DA would not have achieve 50% of the vote. It seems at this stage it is a touch-and-go situation whether the DA will achieve 50% of the vote come 29 May.
Why is South Africa cursed with politicians that act only in self-interest?
Would you buy a second-hand car “voetstoots” from ANY of them?
This myth that the DA is primarily a whites only party is nonsense. Portrayed that way by everyone who wants to cast them in a bad light. It’s kind of depressing to me that you not only can’t see that, being blinded by the propaganda, but you think it’s right to perpetuate the nonsense.
more drivel – really?
Just wow! The PA is fronted by a convicted criminal and the best comment he can come up with is “We are taking back the province”. So the only province that is run in a semi-decent fashion is the one to be “taken”. What about the rest of the country which is in shambles? IF, these parties want to make any kind of difference in South Africa why are they solely focused on the Western Cape? Political BS at its best. Sounds to me like they merely want to take something that is halfway working and plunder it because the rest of the provinces have nothing left to plunder. What a sad trajectory to a country that has so much potential. We will see what the election brings in May, my gut is telling me that it is going to be a lot more of the same ineptitude while the poor people wallow in an absolutely disgraceful existence because the government cannot get its sh!t together in any way, shape or form.
Because they want to get their grubby hands on the money – that is all
I do not care for the PA, but I hate the type of speech politicians use. Steenhuisen talks about jobs but not about wages, which I find is a pressing problem in the Cape. They just keep statements as broad as possible.
How can you talk about wages if you don’t have a job? If you are unemployed what wages do you earn? You need a job first, then you can talk about wages.
Actually no. Not for politicians anyway. In the UK you can how have a zero hour contract. You are contracted to a company, but they do not undertake to give you any work at all in a month. You get no salary, for the politician you are one less unemployed person because look! You have a contract!
Irrelevant in the SA context
A vote for PA is a vote for ANC!
That is the reason why I will never vote for the PA.
I am ugtter amazed at how political immature many of these small party leaders act , Gayton must first learn western Cape politics before having the notion of he will be the next western Cape premier, western Cape politics is unique to the rest of south Africa. As a coloured who have always been a member of the ANC up until 2022 I and a many few of my comrades tried explaining to ANC leadership the special bond/friendship most coloured people have with whites especially in the western Cape and mostly in the Cape Metro. Numbers don’t lie and can’t be fooled open your eyes Gayton whoever is advising you is telling lies , Western Cape is DA controlled because majority coloured people prefer a white leader , coloured leaders are not united , they lack transparency and they don’t want to account and they tend to want to control everything in their political parties
I m afraid the DA can only blame themselves. They have wantonly ignored poorer people in the western cape. And will pay the price soon. If not this election then next.
Even in the wealthier areas CT is looking more tacky. Camps bay is no longer appealing and sea point hasn’t been for a while
What evidence do you have besides the rhetoric of other parties that the DA ignores the poor in the western cape?
Amen. The DA budgets are there for all to see and they are pro poor. Good luck getting things done in these poorer areas when gangsters pitch up with guns and demand protection money.
I listened to the DA budget, they have a budget for informal settlements and John Steenhuisen never misses these comments, he might be in a race against time but he knows what he needs to correct.
I never campaign for any party but there a distinct difference between right and wrong.
The PA has a lot to learn and what they need to learn is not teachable to grown adults who lack in manners.
Bovine manure
Agree with. your insights
It’s a shame that racism is alive and well in our country today even after 29 years of democracy. And it is disguised in comments as “oh its the ANC, they are the problem or it’s they or its them or its BEE etc etc” This is why I will NEVER VOTE FOR THE DA because you have people that want your vote, are subtle racists, complain about everything and anything even if it positive and give credit to themselves as self appointed judges but see the majority via the apartheid lense. I still say again, as long as we have such unrehabilitated, unrepentant mentalities in the economy and nation, then unfortunately the same fate awaits the DA like the Democrats Party of the USA. Don’t worry we will vote for any party that will grind this apartheid mindset to dust as long as it will not be the DA. Let’s see, should we do PA or EFF or ANC just to frustrate someone until they learn that we hate being treated with demeanor, disrespect, cocky, condensenting, and undermining attitudes, and still they don’t learn. Well let the frustration continue until subtle racism dies in African soil. Will revisit after the elections to reaffirm what I said.
Now there’s a well thought out argument not, vote for anyone except the DA who may have some racist tendencies? Rather vote for corruption, thievery, mismanagement and ineptitude just a long as it is not a vote for the DA?
Not all parties who are not the DA are equivalent to the ANC and thus corrupt and inept. It’s not a binary game. Even the DA don’t really believe that. If they did, they would not have entered into the MPC.
McKenzie is so awful that venality (there’s no evidence of him personally having this attribute) and ineptitude are not the biggest problems with voting for him.
Sorry you are correct, I should have specified that I meant the ANC, EFF and their cronies.
I totally agree with you John, Ancient Child must be an ANC supporter or just a someone who likes to stir up things. Yes the DA complains a lot because they are the only party holding the ANC liable for the corruption and Cadre employment, and are the only party as far as I am concerned who can clean up the mess that the ANC have caused over the last 30 years. As for Gayton Mckenzie’s little coalition group, it’s a farce.
You are 100% right, no where does it say you must like a polical party or its leaders, if you use your brain you look at a party`s track record and make an informed choice, and you will come to the conclusion that the only party to vote for is the DA.
If all these DA bashers take the trouble to travel to the other provinces or talk to people in those provinces they will not vote for any of those other corrupt party`s.
Well, ancient child’s clearly a product of an anc education. You don’t like being treated with demeanor??? Demeanor means a person’s outward behavior—the way they act, speak, and express themselves. If you want to use fancy words, why not google their meaning first so you dont look like a dick! And, treating (the citizens of SA with) disrespect, cocky, condensenting, and undermining attitudes, is exactly what the anc’s been doing for the last 30 years.
laying into someone because of their language profiecency is low. you do so even without knowing whether english is a first (or even second or third) language for OP. you yourself did not even spell “demeanor [sic]” correctly. bullying others is how one “look[s] like a dick”, not having poor language.
as for the rest, you don’t have to agree with the sentiment for it to be a real and lived one. the fact that the sentiment exists at all should tell you that the DA has issues: people feel this way, and the DA seems to be losing the fight to get the vote of these people. one sees this sentiment crop up all over the place, more so lately. whether it is justified or not is not the point; the point is that it is there.
Well said Jason – I concur
Some people just can’t be helped
What’s with the ad hominem attack? This behaviour is very DA and learned from the senior leadership, and definitely isn’t helping to bring voters flocking to the DA. Very sad, I have supported the DA all along, but I think they are now making a real mess of things as witnessed by their declining support at the last elections.
Please state where they are making a mess, mention what you think is wrong with the Western Cape.
Riiiiiggghhhhhttttttttt
You are correct, and it is sad to admit that. But I m afraid it is true.
I think I ll be one of the non voters this time or perhaps rise imzansi….problem is they are so called intellectuals with good ideas but incapable of appealing to most people.
Unrehabilitated? Like they have mental diseases or something.
The thing is, confusing complaining with holding to account, mixing up clean, moral governance with what the ANC dishes out, it’s not racism. If you deem that racism, it seems you haven’t looked into the mirror hard enough
Perhaps the reason that racism is alive and well in our country, even after 29 years of democracy, is because it is entrenched into our law. Racist policies and laws are in effect. Stop complaining and do something about it. Vote for a non-racist party. Realistically, that would exclude probably all the parties.
But vote you must, if you want the situation to change. So therefore, skip the idealism, be pragmatic, and vote for who you think can govern best.
Let’s now face it: da elephant in the room is racism in SA. It’s much more than optics, it’s our deepest cut. It’s the chip on both our shoulders. We will never forget District Six. Why you crying like you are the victims of 350 years of racism? Give back the land; pay back the wealth stolen from the indigenous people; then you can cry about BBEEE.
when are you going to stop fighting amongst yourselves so that the District 6 rehabilitation programme can finally go ahead?
What wealth exactly are you talking about?
“unfortunately the same fate awaits the DA like the Democrats Party of the US”.
The DA would love this. The democrats have a majority of support in the US. It’s only because of the electoral college that they don’t win elections every time.
Facepalm! Some people are just beyond help
Well that is 6 parties not to vote for!
Lets hope that the “coloured” voters don’t fall the lies of this gangster.
Thanks
So right.
What is the track record of McKenzie and the others in the coalition, in councils and municipalities, that is the vital question.
Also, the statement about land redistribution is very vague.
Well, the first municipality the PA won in the local government elections (I think it was Prince Albert) they installed a convicted fraudster as mayor, and a convicted paedophile as his deputy – so while the track record is not a long one, it is also one already littered with potentially worse decisions than those taken by JZ783’s government…
McKenzie has a very good track record when it comes to vigilantism, which seems to be his main concern. He’s also slapped some new paint on old swimming pools.
Political parties do not create jobs – private enterpreneurs and investors do. When political parties interfere with the market, by introducing policies that are wrong minded; loss of investment opportunity and jobs follow. It’s that simple. We need less government, not more government. Municipalities should concern themselves with providing reliable services, nothing more. I believe the voting public understands this and will vote for a party that produces policies that removes government from the market by reducing red-tape and cost associated with employment.
Whether the DA likes it or not, its support for Israel is going to impact its support base from coloured communities. It is no secret that there is a sizeable Muslim community in coloured communities that also hold a lot of influence that can shift previous voting patterns.
It also has a sizeable Christian community whose duty is to support Israel because they are God’s chosen people from which all Christians come.
We don’t need Islamic laws in this country. Just look at the world where they rule.
Do some research of your own instead of just listening to the stories your preacher tells you. For starters Islam comes from the same region and people that Christianity originates from.
christian duty is to love God and love others; there is no imperative at all for christians to support israel. in fact, there were many times when God Himself allowed the jewish nation to be attacked, exiled, subjugated; in those instances, would it have been right to support israel at that point in time, when God wasn’t? His chosen people often behaved poorly, and He often punished them.
also, christians don’t even remotely “all come” from isreal or “God’s chosen people”. one of the central themes of the new testament (i.e., christian theology) is that the gospel is for all nations and not only the jews. entire books in the new testamtent (e.g., romans, galatians) are entirely about this point.
i am christian and attempt to live out the call of Christ in my life to love Him and to love others. while what hamas did was evil to the core, the retaliation has been brutal, inhumane, and not in any sense loving: it is evil. calling for the end to the evil currently taking place on a human level in gaza does not make me agree with islamic law. it makes me a human being and a christian who can’t stand by while the suffering of others is taking place.
besides, the point OP was making was that the DA is likely to lose a large number of votes due to its lack of support for gaza. far more people are going to vote against the DA because the DA’s stance than those who will vote for the DA because of their stance. drive around CT and count the palistinian flags vs the israeli flags.
Well put Jason
What has any of this got to do with service delivery and good governance for all the people of SA.
Have you just recently returned from the Crusades?
Nonsense – the DA maintains a NEUTRAL stance and has repeatedly called on BOTH sides to find a peaceful solution.
Shameful!
The PA are complete opportunists, they are just interested in gaining positions and benefitting from them, they are quite happy to create instability on councils if it will benefit them. They do not have any coherent platform, they just spout what they think their electorate want to hear. However, their rhetoric seems to resonate with some voters.
Like the other popcorn parties, such as Zibi’s Rise, gangster Gayton McKenzie’s PA, wants to be the opposition to the opposition as if they have fallen lock, stock and barrel for the ANC’s propaganda the over the last 3 decades on the DA in Western Cape.
The real truth is that the DA is the most racially integrated party in SA and has done more for the Western Cape than any other party could have dreamed of doing.
The W Cape is feeling like a different country, a functional province, thanks to the DA’s good governance.
With Gangster Gayton McKensie and his cronies it will be like back to the bad old days of the ANC and wasted or looted moneys and backwardness.
This who DA should be warning us about, not Zibi. They should leave Zibi alone (all they’re doing is giving him publicity). McKenzie is a thug and whatever the opposite of a constitutionalist is. He, like Mashaba, has no respect for proper legal process, and either does not understand it or is pretending not to.
“We must change the lives of our people” says McKenzie. Well he’s certainly done that in Knysna. In only 18 months he managed to get Knysna to perform as well as any of the ANC municipalities, as basic services have stopped working but councillors have bigger pay packets. Let’s hope that voters are not fooled by his talk but rather judge him by his deeds.
“We are taking back the province.” How is that possible when they didn’t have it in the first place?
Hmmm … so “McKenzie said if elected as premier of the Western Cape, he would eradicate gangsterism, address land redistribution and expel undocumented foreigners.” I think this is the usual trope that we hear from every contender for our votes and taxes.
Whatabout jobs? Others are offering thousands of new jobs. Mr McKenzie is missing out here. Promises, promises … the Africa Restoration Alliance promises 50 000 – 150 000 new jobs per province per year….. Sigh.
As far as I am concerned, there is only 1 party to vote for in the WC and it is DA all the way. Whilst not perfect, they have a uniquely proven track record and are the very antithesis of the vile anc and the despicable coalitions of the anc, eff, pa etc. who are only in politics to steal, patronize, gatekeep etc. Judge a party on its performance and not only colour!!!! If these smaller parties like Action SA, Rise etc were really serious about fighting corruption, kick the anc out of power instead of fracturing the DA vote in the WC. Grow up and see the big picture!!
FatCats hustling to get to the trough!
Almal wat stress oor kraag en watse “waste” wat se vilus is opi geond. One gaan hulle wys die butterfly effect van een poep!
Gayton McKenzie’s PA party slogan is in this family we put God First. It says in KJV Exodus 20: 7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Gayton wants a seat in parliment. Shame on you Mr McKenzie. How do you sleep at night.
We’re a race obsessed little has been of a nation. It’s baffling to me that people want to change the government of the only province that works at the basics level expected of a developed country.
I want to read
Why anyone would want to “take on” the best run province in the country is beyond me. We should all be cheering and supporting it.
And I find it terrifying that there are voters out there who will likely support them I can only assume without knowing how bad the result will ultimately be for them and their families. To those people I can only say “Be very very careful what you wish for”
To anyone wanting a well run economy that provides food, jobs, clean water, power, schools, roads, medical care, and to take the fight to our failing government to provide law and order, vote DA. It truly is the only sensible option for all of us.
The PA is just another SA political party that follows the gutter politics foisted on South Africans for past 3 decades by the NP, ANC, DA & EFF. Unfortunately most of SA society are under the impression this type of democracy would produce leadership & governance when in the entire existence of pre- & post union SA, no administration have ever represented & served the interests of the people of SA.
The DA in the Western Cape inherited a 400+ year deep administrative state, which the ANC lost to them after 9 years in government- nothing much has changed for the better. To compare that with provinces that were artificially created in early nineties is to be willfully ignorant. The old Cape Province had the legislative & governance seat of the whole of SA, covered almost 50% of SA at hhe time and had no less than 2 colonial powers entrencing regal /enlightenment types burocratic capacity for centuries, less democratic but ruthlessly effective.
As a ‘non-white’ resident of the Western Cape, I’ve experienced 1st hand how the DA administration is mis-managing local governments throughout the province. Oh but Alas clean audits – it just mean you’ve managed to kept your corrupt activities were allocated the proper budget votes not to run foal of the MGMA & on a provincial level the PFMA. Having access to loyal accounting & auditing firms helps a lot if your posture is Public Private Partnerships.
The 2010 Soccer world cup showed us how corrupt the big players in the private sector are and we’ve learned nothing. It a international standard that politics follows the money but it seems we still suffer from PTSD due to our Apartheid skunk status & exclusion from global political realities. “We show them, we better – if we just had more time” is still the battle cry after 76 years in most white hearts.
Latest census have WC at 44% coloureds, 35% Africans & 15% white. A large portion of the white vote fleed the DA in 2019 as they perceived their party being overrun by black leaders branding them as “ANC Lite”. The main contender for the coloured vote, Madam De Lille, left them high & dry with the DA after taking the ID into Madam Helen’s fold a few years before. The ANC weren’t an option since they disenfranchised the coloured leadership under Mr Rasool a decade before.
The major difference now is that ethnic coloured parties for the first time are attracting those frustrated voters to them. All these votes were former DA constituents and that’s could be the undoing of the DA on WC.
To add racists & condescending postures into the mix by the minority leadership over represented execute structures whether in party or WC government spheres could be the final nail in this coffin.
So don’t expect too much from politics, rather engage with your local community & contribute/give input to alleviation of the issues the destitute & vulnerable sectors have to face daily.
As long as I’m paying taxes, no administration will get any praise for doing that I’m paying for. DA included.
WOW, what a loada.
You should visit kzn and you might change your opinion on the DA.
What nonsense!!!
Arriving in Cape Town from Johannesburg and any other major Centre in South Africa is like landing in a different country! Things work, the roads are well kept, traffic lights work, and the general impression is one of a well-managed Province. I was blown away when I visited in November 2023.
So Gayton McKenzie says that he will eradicate gangsterism in the Western Cape, if elected as Premier?
My understanding of McKenzie is that he has a criminal record himself and spent time behind bars.
How can we possibly allow an ex-gangster to be able to contest this position.
Hopefully, common sense will prevail and the DA management of the Western Cape will continue afetr the elections.
Anyone who is under the illusion that any alliance with the PA will have a positive outcome for the voters should visit Knysna which has been stuffed up beyond recognition by the PA/ANC/EFF Alliance. What was the jewel of the Garden Route has been bankrupted by the useless corrupt crew that gained power because of the PA bartering it’s seat for power. No water for many, sewerage in the lagoon, constant infrastructure failures and criminal charges laid. Useless incompetents.
I live in the Karoo and I would like to see photographs of any decently completed projects instigated by Mr Gayton McKenzie. All I have seen are a toilet system that is half finished This is a link to an article in Daily Maverick. He also undertook to sort out ll the pools. I would like to see photos of people using these pools
Bunch of dangerous religious zealots, their manifesto is quite frightening.
Leon Campher van die Advieskantoor en Colin Sylvester van OGI is altwee “one-man bands”. As Leon 100 supporters in Dysselsdorp het, het Colin dalk 30 in Oudtshoorn. Altwee, soos die res, net daar vir hulle eie gewin!
Thank you for daily reading on the news.