PA eyes coalition with the DA after ANC fallout

“We don’t have that thing of no we’ll never work with the Democratic Alliance (DA). We will form a coalition with the DA if the ANC is going to treat us like that.”

Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie made this statement this week during a Facebook live address discussing a recent fallout with the African National Congress (ANC), particularly in Johannesburg.

McKenzie, who serves as Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet, recently revealed his party’s intention to withdraw from the government of national unity (GNU) and its immediate exit from all ANC-run coalition governments.

In an interview with eNCA, he said that “we are not considering, we are withdrawing from our relationship in coalitions,” with the ANC at local and provincial levels.

“Immediately after that, we are going to start the processes of withdrawing from the GNU,” he added.

While the GNU partners had a mutual understanding to address disputes internally as they emerged, McKenzie said that there was no similar agreement in place at the local government level.

McKenzie said that the PA is frustrated by Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero, particularly for not immediately reinstating PA’s deputy Kenny Kunene as transport MMC. 

In response, DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp told Newsday that “the DA is focused on a clear win in order to stabilise local government, wherever we contest.”

“Coalitions are only discussed once an election result is in. We have this approach to avoid instability.”

“For the DA to get involved as a bargaining chip in the unsavory fights between existing ANC coalition partners, does not fit our policy of promoting stability.”

Kunene returns

Kunene resigned in July from his position as MMC and councilor after he was found at murder-accused Katiso “KT” Molefe’s Sandton residence during a police raid.

Kunene says he was there to accompany a young journalist of his publication. An investigation found no evidence contradicting Kunene’s account of events, although Molefe could not be interviewed.

Now the PA deputy president, whose party holds 10 out of the 270 seats in the council, is back, and the party wants him to immediately resume his previous duties.

Morero did not heed the request of the PA and appoint Kunene’s temporary replacement, Liam Jacobs, as MMC of Transport, and he has not yet appointed Kunene after the investigation.

“We want to be treated with respect. We can’t be treated like that by Dada Morero. He’s got something against us,” said McKenzie.

“So we are leaving immediately from the coalition and we are giving our intention to follow the processes to withdraw from the GNU.”

Johannesburg’s 270-seat council is fractured, with no party getting more than 90 seats.

As has been proven over recent years, the PA’s 10 seats are the crucial ‘swing votes,’ which saw the collapse of previous DA administrations and the rise of others.

One of the disagreements between the DA and PA in Johannesburg that led to the breakdown of its working arrangement was the nomination of Kunene as a mayoral candidate.

Nationally, the PA is the fourth-largest party in the ten-party GNU, making up nine out of the 287 seats the bloc has in the 400-seat parliament.

In a Facebook live address on 22 September, McKenzie said that “within 7 days, if Kunene is not back in his position, every PA member in JB Marks [Municipality], every PA coalition with the ANC, you withdraw with immediate effect.”

“They probably think because I’m a minister, they can do what they like with the PA. If they don’t put Kenny Kunene back, we will leave every coalition we have with the ANC.”

“We are not here for positions. I will go back to the ground and will see what the future holds.”