WATCH: ‘I will be president’ – Gayton McKenzie aims for bigger stage in 2024

Getting Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie to sit down for a chat is no small feat.

The businessman and politician makes it clear that he doesn’t do media interviews, and prefers to speak directly to party supporters via social media platform Facebook.

His live videos give an insightful look into how he runs what he calls a “colourful party,” detailing his work, including a recent visit to the Afrikaner-only town of Orania.

In a sit-down interview with The Citizen, McKenzie says 2024 “will be war,” quoting a new slogan adopted ahead of next year’s polls.

“We don’t view 2024 as just an election. 2024 will be a new 1994. It’s a war against poverty, racism, unemployment and separation – most importantly, it’s a war to bring God back into the centre and in everything that we do.”

After taking centre stage in the City of Johannesburg and helping ANC/EFF install new Al-Jamah-ah Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda while influencing who gets the mayoral chain in other councils, McKenzie is aiming for the bigger stage after the 2024 national elections, should no one get an outright majority.

VIDEO: Will Gayton McKenzie be the kingmaker in 2024?

National kingmaker?

McKenzie claims the PA is the fastest-growing party post-2021 local government elections, especially in the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Northern Cape.

“We are the biggest breakout party after the 2021, no other party has done as good as we did, none. Every party will give their membership numbers, which might be hugely inflated and doctored.

“But in the PA, we can’t do that. Our numbers are public in that when you join, you see that you are number whatever to register, so you can’t doctor that.”

ALSO READ: Orania ‘doing what we should be doing in SA’ – Gayton McKenzie

At least 330 000 people have registered as members, he adds.

A target of 1,5 million votes has been set, “which could give us at least 8 percent and give PA kingmaker status” in a possible national coalition government, says McKenzie.

He mentioned the removal of Thapelo Ahmad as Joburg mayor as an indication of the PA’s “power” through its eight councillors.

“We won’t need to win a majority in order to change the law and achieve what we’ve set out to do in Parliament. People listen to the kingmaker.

“We have to decide whose gonna be president after the elections – and we might choose ourselves. Leave emotions aside and look at the numbers.

“A president could come from the PA, I will be the president of this country. We are the kingmakers.”

VIDEO:

@thecitizen_news The Citizen get a sit-down chat with Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie. After taking centre stage in the City of Johannesburg and helping ANC/EFF install new Al-Jamah-ah Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda while influencing who gets the mayoral chain in other councils, McKenzie is aiming for the bigger stage after the 2024 national elections should no one get an outright majority. National kingmaker? #gaytonmckenzie #thecitizennews #patrioticalliance #kingmaker #johannesburgmayor #kabelogwamanda #EFF #ANC #DA #Trumpwal ♬ original sound – The Citizen

‘We will win Northern Cape ‘

McKenzie believes he will win the Northern Cape, and be part of coalitions in the other eight provinces, including the DA-run Western Cape,

This is despite the DA accusing the PA of “mimicking” the (ANC) and practising “extortion politics”, according to Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga.

“No other party, outside of the DA and ANC, has ever won a ward in Cape Town in 15 years. We beat the DA in Swellendam. They can’t face us alone in other areas and come to us through coalition with FF Plus.

“For the first time, the DA has competition in the Western Cape,” he adds.

ALSO READ: PA leader Gayton McKenzie resigns as Central Karoo mayor

PA ‘not a coloured party’

Founded in 2013 by McKenzie, his deputy Kenny Kunene and others, the PA sought the “coloured vote” and became popular in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

According to its president, the constituency has since changed.

The PA has supporters of all races and members across South Africa, McKenzie says.

“Life and wisdom have subsequently taught us that being an only-coloured party was a foolish thing, wrong and racist. We changed our stance to a colourful party instead.

“But every party has a base – ANC and EFF’s base is in black communities, while the FF Plus is in white communities. Our base is in the coloured community.”

He accused those who label PA as a party for coloureds as “spewing rubbish.”

“Haters of PA would like to pigeonhole us as a coloured party. It is rubbish that we prioritise coloured communities.

“Today [Joburg roads MMC] Kunene is in Diepsloot, a black community. We do a lot of work in Western Cape’s Khayelitsha, it’s our enemies that want to sell that narrative about us.

“The PA won a ward in Giyani, Limpopo, you can’t get any blacker than Giyani. There’s no coloured person in that area.

“We are also in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, which is a white community, we are everywhere.”

NOW READ: Kenny Kunene explains the ‘flip-flopping’ role of the PA in municipal coalitions