Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie.
Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has ordered the expulsion of members accused of promoting rival parties and mayoral candidates on a WhatsApp group from the Eastern Cape.
This happens as McKenzie announced that his party won't have an Operations Centre and War Room for the local government elections to be held tomorrow amid some members displaying ANC and DA tendencies.
McKenzie threatens expulsions over ANC and DA
“This party has been infiltrated by complainers,” he said during a live address on Facebook to Patriotic Alliance members and supporters on Sunday.
“Firstly, the SG (secretary-general), I have seen people promoting other parties but they are members of the PA. All those people need to get their letter this week that they are totally expelled from the PA,” he said.
McKenzie also said one of the implicated people has praised former DA leader Helen Zille’s campaign in Johannesburg Metro.“They need to be expelled. It can’t be when patriots work so hard,” he said.
The PA leader also said the mayoral candidate group from the Eastern Cape called the party’s leaders incompetent.
“You better put your resignation letters. You must all go. Here, this is not the ANC. We have a line here. You are not to insult leaders of this party,” he said.
McKenzie further said a member from Saldanha had threatened to work with “Blue Wave”, a term associated with the DA, if his or her demands were not met.
“That one in Saldanha, you are expelled on this live show tonight. You work with the DA.”
He added that the expulsions could not be delayed in case the party was accused when it did not perform well in the local government elections.
The PA leader stated that they would not be threatened and be shouted at.
“There is a line of command. We are not a party that has no control of their members. We are not a party where you can disrespect leaders,” he said.
McKenzie further said some PA members were too quick to complain and had a sense of entitlement.
Referring to Northern Cape Chairperson Anthony Mietas, who died in an accident while busy with party work, McKenzie said he never complained when his car broke down but had made a plan for another car, which was involved in the accident.
PA leader raises concerns about party spending
“I want to warn members here that they must not be entitled in life.”
He also expressed his concern that a councillor had asked him for R110 to buy “blue pens” at the request of some members.
McKenzie also expressed concern that some could not use their own money for party activities such as buying food for other members while others wanted more money allocated only to provide meals that left much to be desired.
He said some members were after the PA’s resources.
McKenzie made an example of one member who invoiced the party for R420 000 for food in order to fix his or her financial situation while in one area they were charged R7000 for use of a loudhailer for two hours.
PA to operate without war room during election
“People think the PA is a piggy bank,” he said.
He also said money would be sent to provinces on Monday and their treasurer-general would demand slips as proof on how the money had been spent.
“We want a full breakdown of the money spent. We want the slips,” he said as he warned that some were in the PA to do business.
He also warned PA members against egos, saying it was a recipe for failure.
“Tonight, I was cleaning what I saw as a danger. I can't allow that culture to come in. I hope you understand,” he said.
“There is a tendency from people from the ANC and DA. I will never allow that.”
PA plans app to track election information
McKenzie announced that there would be no Operations Centre and a war room.
“There is no Ops Centre, no war room. You must be on the ground. I must be on the ground,” he said.
“The PA is launching an APP,” he said, adding that training will be provided to those who feed information on the APP.