Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and minister of sport, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie has declared the Eastern Cape a political battleground, vowing to end coalition governance and take full control of municipalities in the province after the 2026 local government elections.

Addressing supporters at the party’s national rally at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha at the weekend, McKenzie made it clear the PA intended to expand its reach beyond its traditional strongholds.

“We are taking each and every municipality in the Eastern Cape. We don’t want coalitions any more,” said McKenzie.

“South Africa was asking me 'why are you going to the Eastern Cape? That’s not your stronghold. Why don’t you go to the Northern Cape? Why don’t PA go to the Western Cape' where it’s our stronghold?' And I told them the ANC has been winning the Eastern Cape [with] no competition. Today it's a declaration of war,” he said.

“We are taking them on in their own backyard. For too long they have controlled the Eastern Cape, but today it’s a warning shot to tell them the green army is coming.”

McKenzie criticised service delivery failures in Nelson Mandela Bay, referring to poor infrastructure and resignations of PA councillors from coalition-led councils as part of a strategic withdrawal.

“To the people in Nelson Mandela Bay. I saw the potholes. I saw how this place looks. It’s a mess. That’s why we’ve given instruction a few months ago to our councillors and we said 'you can’t be part of this function of the ANC here'. And all our councillors resigned from council to prepare for our comeback, which is not the coalition. It’s a total takeover,” he said. 

He declared, to loud applause, that the PA will take over the municipality in 2026.

“Nelson Mandela Bay shall be a PA municipality. Come 2026, come 2026,” he said.

McKenzie also linked the party’s campaign to broader national concerns including unemployment, crime and undocumented foreign nationals.

“People don’t have jobs. People can’t find opportunities. People don’t get funding for businesses. Crime is taking over our streets. Foreigners are coming here illegally and they do what they like.

“I came here to tell South Africa that the solution to the problems of South Africa is in the manifesto points of the PA,” he said.

The party has been accused of xenophobia, particularly due to its strong stance against undocumented immigrants. But McKenzie insisted its position was rooted in responsibility not prejudice.

“The PA has been called very xenophobic. I came to tell you the PA is not xenophobic. The PA is responsible. When your children are being poisoned and you say nothing, that doesn’t make you responsible,” he said.

“If your children are being killed, poison drugs being sold by illegal foreigners. If you say nothing, then you are irresponsible. We are standing up. And we want to say to President Ramaphosa very clearly: we don’t want stories. We want every illegal foreigner to go home. This South Africa belongs to the people.”