Israel, US not SA's enemies – McKenzie

McKenzie, who also the sports, arts and culture ministers, defended his party’s international stance and dismissed accusations of being a Zionist.

McKenzie addressed supporters at a campaign rally at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, ahead of the 2026 local government elections. 

The rally comes as the PA intensifies efforts to expand its support base in traditional ANC strongholds.

Responding to criticism over the party’s engagement with Israel, McKenzie clarified his position on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“The PA can never be against Palestinians; we are against Hamas. The Patriotic Alliance has never stood with terrorists, we will never stand with terrorists.”

He added that his party promotes peace and collaboration and will be sending a delegation to Israel this week to study how it resolved its water challenges — a move aimed at addressing South Africa’s ongoing water crisis.

“Tuesday we are going to choose our people here to go to Israel. Israel is not our enemy, Palestine is not our enemy, we are peace-loving people, we want to work with everybody. America is not our enemy, the ones that hate America must not take money from America,”

The PA leader also used the platform to tackle local and racial issues. 

He strongly rejected claims of a white genocide in South Africa, following a group of white Afrikaners who were granted refugee status in the US President Donald Trump. He labelled the claims as divisive and called on the government to cut ties with racist institutions.

“To white people, this is your country as much as it is my country. Let us build our country — not as black, not as white, not as Indian, not as coloured — but let us build this country under the banner of us being South Africans,” he said.

McKenzie also declared political war on the ANC in the Eastern Cape, saying the ruling party’s time is up. 

The PA currently holds two seats in the Nelson Mandela Bay Council, but McKenzie vowed that his party would soon govern every municipality in the province.

“We are taking each and every municipality in the Eastern Cape. We don’t want coalitions anymore,” he said, stressing that the PA’s manifesto holds practical solutions to the country’s challenges.

Dismissing claims that the PA is xenophobic, McKenzie reiterated the party’s stance on undocumented immigration. 

He linked illegal immigration to job losses, overloaded public services, and rising crime.

“Illegal foreigners have jobs in South Africa but we don’t have jobs, illegal foreigners are selling drugs in our country, illegal foreigners are smuggling dangerous weapons into our country, illegal foreigners are coming here stealing our vehicles, illegal foreigners coming here without any paperwork and they do want they like – I’m saying to them, president Ramaphosa it is time where we put South Africans first, let’s put our people first. We don’t want an illegal foreigner!”

He ended his speech by appealing to black voters to give the PA the same opportunity they once gave to the apartheid government and the ANC.

“Some of you said maybe I’m soft on Ramaphosa. It got nothing to do with President Ramaphosa; it got everything to do with the office of the presidency. I must respect that office because 2029 I might be the one going into that office. So, I can’t destroy that office that I’m going into in 2029. I’m telling you, no devil will stop us,” McKenzie concluded.

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