Photo: L and R tweeted by Gayton McKenzie. Insert: Gallo Images/Sunday Times/Dudu Zitha
Gayton McKenzie, the founder and first president of the Patriotic Alliance political party, recently visited the whites-only town of Orania in South Africa, sparking a heated debate.
During his visit, McKenzie said his experience in Orania may not be the same for others, but he found the residents friendly and welcoming.
McKenzie arrived in Orania on 6 May, visiting “the whole day and slept over”.
“I have heard so many different stories about Orania”, he said. “I will be writing about my experiences and observations”.
He praised the town’s focus on building infrastructure, technical schools, and empowering people, noting that these actions should be replicated throughout South Africa.
However, he lamented that these efforts were exclusively for Afrikaners.
McKenzie emphasised that only white people are allowed to live in Orania, stating that the town’s rulers use culture, tradition, and rules as an excuse to maintain the town’s exclusivity.
He acknowledged the town’s argument that it preserves the Afrikaner language and heritage, but also mentioned the absence of LGBTQI individuals, who are unwelcome there.
“There is merit on their argument that Orania is where they preserve their language, heritage and tradition.
“I also didn’t see LGBTQI [people], after asking I was told that they are not welcome.”
WATCH: A look inside Orania, South Africa’s whites-only town
During his visit, McKenzie observed that the town is the cleanest town he has ever visited, with a strong focus on recycling and litter-free streets.
“Recycling starts at your house and your bin; the town is litter free. Orania is also a huge construction site with new infrastructure being added to keep up with the demand for more houses.”
His tweets, however, were countered on social media, with netizens saying “there are hundreds of other clean and integrated neighbourhoods” in South Africa.
Furthermore, McKenzie revealed that the town has its own currency, the ORA, and a bank registered with the Reserve Bank.
The bank, which began as a stockvel, now offers home loans and enables each customer to own shares.
Orania currently has a population of around 3 000 residents
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