- Two Patriotic Alliance members have resigned from their party and joined the DA.
- It follows a massive fallout between the party that resulted in the PA pulling out in two Western Cape municipalities, including Matzikama municipality.
- PA leader Gayton McKenzie says he wishes them well.
Two Patriotic Alliance councillors have ditched the party and joined the DA, following a massive fallout between the party that resulted in the PA pulling out in two Western Cape municipalities, including Matzikama.
PA Matzikama leader Brenden Owies and councillor Christo Boks were welcomed at a press conference on Tuesday.
DA Provincial Interim Leader Tertuis Simmers said the two councillors indicated that they would prefer the DA to run the Matzikama Municipality instead of smaller parties that enable the ANC.
"From across the Western Cape, especially in the rural areas, there is an outpouring of frustration by voters towards smaller parties who have effectively sold out their voters and are enabling the ANC to continue their stunt of poor service delivery where they govern," He said.
Simmers added it was because of the DA's positive track record of good governance and service delivery, especially in vulnerable communities, that Boks and Owies were excited to join the DA.
He said:
Marlon Daniels, the national chairperson for the PA, declined to comment on their members leaving the party.
The PA and DA's relationship has soured over the last few weeks; trouble started brewing after the PA leader Gayton McKenzie was elected as district mayor of the Central Karoo.
Simmers and the DA expressed concern about instability in municipalities after McKenzie took over the mayoral chain in the Central Karoo District Municipality, saying the party was concerned that the PA was trying to, "... move into the Central Karoo".
McKenzie threatened to withdraw from all municipal coalition agreements with the DA following the criticism directed at him. Last week, the PA made good on its promise announcing that it would withdraw from coalitions with the DA in the Western Cape.
McKenzie reacted to the news in a Facebook post about Owies and Boks leaving, "We wish them well," he said.
"I was just informed about our one Councillor that walked over to the DA, [the] leader of the PA in Matzikama also joined him at his new home, we the leader of the PA wished them well and we have nothing bad to say about them. This is the nature of politics, you lose some, and you gain some.
"The PA is all about growth; we wish you growth even if it's not with us, go well and make our people proud," he said.
McKenzie added they would be making some announcements regarding the party's next move in Matzikama very soon.
"We are also aware that the DA went on a huge drive to sign up PA Councillors; I wanna thank those 14 Councillors that informed us about the advances of the DA, thank you, Patriots," he said.
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