PA leader Gayton McKenzie has vowed to continue backing President Cyril Ramaphosa should he face a motion of no confidence, despite his party’s decision to pull out of the government of national unity.
On Friday, McKenzie told Business Day that he had already been approached by both former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party and the EFF to rally his party in support of a motion to remove Ramaphosa.
“I’ve already been approached by all parties to join the vote of no confidence against Ramaphosa and I will not do that: I’m going to vote for Ramaphosa even when I’m outside. I don’t want to vote against Ramaphosa; my fight with the ANC has got nothing to do with the good work I see he’s trying to do.
“So although we will be outside, I will not join all these parties that approach us, like MK, all of them. We, you know, the very same EFF that they are fighting for in the City of Johannesburg [sic] are the people that ask our people to support the vote of no confidence against the president.”
Kunene saga sparks final break
McKenzie and the PA are set to walk out of the GNU after the ANC-led City of Johannesburg refused to reinstate its former transport member of the mayoral committee (MMC), Kenny Kunene. Kunene stepped aside from his post after reports emerged that he was present at the home of murder accused Katiso Molefe at the time of Molefe’s his arrest.
McKenzie and the PA’s withdrawal from the GNU and all coalitions with the ANC will be submitted to Ramaphosa on Tuesday. It will mark the first significant withdrawal from the GNU since its formation last year — McKenzie has sought to play a role as a peacemaker inside the GNU and has played a constructive role, particularly during the tough budget process.
ANC–PA coalition tensions
McKenzie describes the move to sideline Kunene as the “last straw” in a string of instances where he says the ANC violated a standing coalition agreement with his party in various councils across the country. The ANC in Johannesburg wants the PA to give up its MMC post in the city to hand it to the EFF.
“They said ... [EFF leader Julius] Malema wants our position. Malema wants it, they promised it to Malema. I said but it’s not about a promise, we’ve got an agreement, an agreement signed,” he said.
McKenzie said the impasse over Kunene followed the ANC’s working with the DA and others in the Western Cape to remove PA mayor in Lainsburg Amanda Klein and deputy mayor in Beaufort West, Gaba Pieterse. The ANC also refused to appoint PA MMC Liam Jacobs to replace Kunene while Kunene he was under investigation.
“The ANC has been waging a silent war against us for a while now ... Joburg is just the last straw. We’re going to leave Gauteng province. We’re going to leave Joburg. We’re going to leave Sol Plaaitjie ... we’re going to leave Rand West. I can’t expect people to resign from their positions and I remain. That is not leadership. So, we will go and hit the ground and we’ll meet again in 12 months when the election is on,” McKenzie says.
This is a developing story.
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