I despise the DA, but will work with them, says PA’s McKenzie after defeat

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Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandPatriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie says ‘the people have spoken’, after the DA captures Eldorado Park’s Ward 18 in the local government elections. Picture: Werner Hills Story audio is generated using AI

The Patriotic Alliance has signalled that it is willing to work with the Democratic Alliance in coalition governments despite party leader Gayton McKenzie’s repeated criticism of the blue party.

The submission came on Friday after the party lost its founding Eldorado Park Ward 18, in Johannesburg, to the DA.

Just after 5pm on Friday, the PA showed 2% of voter support nationwide and 1% of support in Gauteng.

McKenzie said the PA’s approach to coalitions would be guided by the needs of communities rather than personal animosity. “We don’t like the DA, let me be frank. I actually despise them, but we will work with them because it’s not about me.

“It’s about the leadership of the PA. What the leadership decides on Monday. We will work with anyone.”

The party’s deputy president, Kenny Kunene, echoed McKenzie’s position, saying the party would enter negotiations with any other political party if the electoral outcome required it.

“Politically, as the president has said, we will go into coalition with any political party, including the DA, despite the fact that we don’t like the DA,” Kunene said. “But our party says we respect the mandate of the voter, and the voter is saying work together. So it’s not about what I like or what I don’t like. It’s about the mandate of the voter. So we will work with the DA.”

Kunene was particularly critical of DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille, accusing her of prioritising wealthy communities over poor and black residents. “But again, despite me disliking her, our party says we must respect the mandate of the voter.”

Addressing the DA’s gains in Eldorado Park, where the party won wards previously held by the PA, McKenzie said the PA accepted the democratic outcome, even though it was disappointed with the result. “People of Eldos have made the choice. I personally feel we should respect the choice.

“If they feel that the DA can serve them better, I want to congratulate the new DA councillors. The people of Eldorado Park have made a choice as democrats, in a democratic country. I have to respect the choice of the people of Eldorado Park.”

He said the PA would continue serving the community despite losing electoral support there. “Do I like it? No. Will I still do all the stuff I’m doing for Eldos? I will still continue to do that because, for me, not everything is politics. I love those people there.”

McKenzie pointed to the PA’s gains elsewhere, including in Soweto and George, where he said the party took wards from the DA. “In George, we took six wards from the Democratic Alliance. In fact, seven.

“We are now at 150 seats. That shows you that it’s double what we got in 2021. You would read every day how the people hate me, how the people don’t want me in the central Karoo, and there you see how the people wanted the Patriotic Alliance, with 49%.”

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