Gayton McKenzie, the President of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), has revealed that his party will be one of the many parties set to meet with the ANC as talks about possible coalitions begin in earnest following the elections.
Ahead of the meeting, and during his visit to the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) results centre at the weekend, McKenzie indicated that one of its non-negotiable demands to the ANC would be the Ministry of Home Affairs portfolio, as the party feels strongly about the issue of illegal immigration and open borders.
By Sunday evening, after more than 99.9% of the results had been accounted for, the PA had garnered 2.06% of the votes nationally, 7.33% in the Western Cape, and 8.36% in the Northern Cape.
Taking to social media on Monday, McKenzie revealed that he would be meeting with the ANC leadership on Monday.
“We are meeting ANC today for coalition talks. We will not be arrogant in our demands but we will not accept any deal that doesn’t make mass deportation a reality. We will rather go fight in Parliament instead. We have a mandate and have no right to change it,” he said.
This was in contrast to his weekend statement in which he was bold about his demands in a possible coalition with the governing party.
“On Baiza Nie and we are clear about what we want. Malema has made it clear that he wants finance; we want Kenny as the home affairs minister. Do not worry, you will meet us in Parliament. They call me a green gangster, but when we get to Parliament, you must call me ‘honourable’,” he said.
On Sunday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula took a firm stand against some of the demands being bandied about by various political parties seeking a coalition arrangement.
These include the MK Party, which has indicated that it will not enter into a coalition with the ANC if President Cyril Ramaphosa was still at the helm.
Mbalula said in response: “If you come to us with the demand that Ramaphosa must step down as the President of ANC, that is not going to happen. If you come to us with that demand, that is not going to happen. No one is going to dictate to us. You come to us with that demand, forget. That is not going to happen. That is a no go area. We are not going to negotiate on the basis that President Ramaphosa must be removed.”
The Star