Gayton McKenzie warns politicians: ‘Citizens have had it and will remove us’

Patriotic Alliance leader and Central Karoo mayor Gayton McKenzie says it is a matter of time before South Africans are gatvol of politicians and remove those who do not deliver on their promises. 

McKenzie had vowed that by the time he marked his first 100 days in office, there would be no bucket toilet in the Central Karoo district municipality.

This week he shared footage of construction workers removing rocks that make it impossible to lay the pipes for flushing toilets. 

“The most frequent answer I got when I inquired about the failure to remove the bucket toilets was that the amount of rocks in the ground made it impossible to lay the pipes. Where there is a will, there is a way. We are laying the pipes,” he said.

McKenzie was elected uncontested in April and has been in office for 86 days. 

“South Africans take long to get angry. I don’t think there will be a national election. They have had it with us politicians. They will remove all of us, and rightly so. The real revolution is around the corner. We are governing on borrowed time. Let’s get our act together.”

McKenzie has vowed to turn his district into “another Dubai”. 

“We will turn this place into Dubai. We are fixing the basics like bucket toilets, potholes and jobs for all. We will start an ambitious construction project like never seen before after my 100-day mark. Our people are cynical because of past heartaches from politicians. I’m different.”

He has opened a protective clothing factory, a bakery and a tar plant in the municipality and refurbished a local swimming pool, which residents complained they have been waiting years to have fixed.

“I have not used any finances from the municipality, not a single cent. I don’t intend to use any money until I have helped stabilise the finances of the whole district,” said McKenzie.