The DA spent R200 million to destroy me – Gayton McKenzie

Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, accused the DA of spending R200 million to destroy him.

He shared this opinion during an interview with Biznews about South Africa’s political landscape.

McKenzie accused the Democratic Alliance, and in particular, Helen Zille, of spreading lies about him and the Patriotic Alliance.

He said that Zille had called the party a criminal mafia and accused him of corruption without producing any evidence.

He argued that these accusations stem from the Democratic Alliance losing support to the Patriotic Alliance.

“Helen Zille and the DA make serious allegations against me. That’s why they’re losing: because they have no campaign. They are just focusing on Gayton McKenzie,” he said.

“They’re so scared of me that they spent R200 million on how to bring Gayton McKenzie down for more than 11 years.”

He added that the DA has changed over the years. “This is not the DA of going door-to-door talking to people. No, this is a DA that lies, a DA that’s scandalous.”

He said that this campaign against him was unsuccessful and that the Patriotic Alliance remains the fastest-growing political party in South Africa.

“The Patriotic Alliance has beaten the DA in Stellenbosch in the last by-election. We’ve beaten them in the last by-election in Mossel Bay,” he said.

“We’ve beaten them three times in a row in George. We’ve beaten them in Drakenstein. These are areas in the ‘blue wall’ where they used to be very strong.”

He said that this showed that the voters have turned against the DA and its tactics and are now supporting his party.

McKenzie predicted that the Patriotic Alliance would win George outright and that the DA would fall to 38% in the City of Cape Town.

The City of Johannesburg coalition

McKenzie predicted that in Johannesburg, the DA will get a little more than they did last time. However, it will not be enough to form a government without the ANC.

“However, if the DA, the PA, ActionSA, IFP, and Freedom Front Plus work together, I think we can kick the ANC out in the City of Joburg,” he said.

“The problem, though, is that nobody wants to work with Helen Zille. It’s not a DA problem, it’s a Helen Zille problem.”

He accused Zille of being a liar who cannot be trusted and is known for breaking up political coalitions.

He said that the PA, along with the DA and other parties, struck a deal for a coalition in Johannesburg to ensure the ANC lost power.

“We shook hands. ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus, PA, and the DA agreed and mapped out a deal on a Friday,” he said.

“On Sunday, I opened the Sunday Times, and saw that the DA said they would not work with a criminal organisation.”

“ActionSA was in trouble because Helen Zille didn’t keep her word. Herman Mashaba tried everything to keep it together, but it did not work.”

McKenzie said that it was not only the PA which complained about Zille. “The Freedom Front, ActionSA, and the IFP complained,” he said.

“It’s like women who say all men are dogs. That’s the type of attitude you cannot put up with. You cannot work with Helen Zille. She is impossible to work with.”