SA Cape Corps joins Patriotic Alliance

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

For Immediate Release: Patriotic Alliance joined by the SA Cape Corps (SACC) Military Veterans

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is today proud to announce that it has formally partnered with the SA Cape Corps Military Veterans countrywide.

This association is highly significant as the SACC has 72 000 members in the Western Cape alone and hundreds of thousands more across South Africa. Their ability to mobilise their members and to canvass for support, particularly in so-called coloured communities across the country, is unparalleled. This is mainly because of their military discipline and work ethic, but also because of the respect they still generate in their communities.

The Cape Corps and its predecessor units have a long military history that dates back to 1781. The history of these soldiers mirrors the history of the coloured people as a whole, which is why the Patriotic Alliance is so proud to be associated with them. This is the first time in the history of the Cape Corps that they have openly allied themselves with any political organisation.

Lillian Wakkies, the president of the SACC Military Veterans Association, says: “We as the SACC already decided months ago that we needed to work with PA. PA is the first party that has said and done everything we were looking for in a political organisation. Our coloured people have never been so overlooked in South Africa and PA will be our political voice in Parliament after the May 7 elections. We are urging all coloured people in South Africa who are tired of the same old promises of the other parties to stand together and support PA. 

“The department of military veterans is taking so long to give us our necessary recognition. The certificate that the minister needs to issue to us still hasn’t been issued. It’s an example of how coloured people are simply not deemed important enough any more. MK veterans get business opportunities and have never had things better.

“But it’s not only our military veterans who deserve to be recognised. The ownership of council flats needs to be signed over to our people and PA will ensure that our people are treated as equal citizens wherever PA governs.”

President of the Patriotic Alliance, Gayton McKenzie, says: “The SACC are proud soldiers dedicated to uplifting their communities. They fought for this country, but are today not given the recognition and respect from government that they deserve. I admire their support for this party because they are not simply growing Patriotic Alliance for themselves. They are doing it because they want coloured people as a whole to have a political voice and be in charge of their own destiny, which has never happened before in South Africa.”

The Patriotic Alliance is a non-racial party with its roots in the coloured community. It puts resolving the problems of the coloured community and the concerns of the coloured community at the top of its agenda. It enjoys support from church groups, civil society formations and Khoisan leaders throughout the Western and Northern Cape. In the last six months, PA has evolved swiftly from its peace-making role among communities affected by gang violence, and is already a strong political presence that is expected to enjoy a strong showing at the polls on May 7.

Despite its background, the party welcomes members from all races and economic groups and has broad policies for creating a more equal, politically and socio-economically fair South Africa. It wants BEE shares in companies to directly benefit all formerly disadvantaged South Africans.

To speak to president Lillian Wakkies directly, her number is 071 371 1694.

For any further interviews regarding PA, contact spokesperson Charles Cilliers on 079 127 1575.

ISSUED BY PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE

Vir onmiddellike vrystelling: SAKK Militêre Veterane sluit aan by Patriotic Alliance

Dinsdag 29 April, 2014

Vir onmiddellike vrystelling: SAKK Militêre Veterane sluit aan by Patriotic Alliance

Patriotic Alliance (PA) is trots om vandag aan te kondig dat dit ’n formele vennootskap met die SA Kaapse Korps Militêre Veterane geteken het.

Hierdie alliansie is baie betekenisvol omdat die SAKK meer as 72 000 lede in die Wes-Kaap het met honderde duisende meer regoor Suid-Afrika. Hul vermoë om lede te mobiliseer en om verdere ondersteuning te werf, veral in bruin gemeenskappe landswyd, is ongetwyfeld. Ou SAKK soldate bewys nog steeds militêre dissipline en werksetiek en geniet ook die respek van hul gemeenskappe.

Die Kaapse Korps en sy voorgangers se militêre geskiedenis het in 1781 begin. Hul geskiedenis weerspieël die geskiedenis van bruin mense in die algemeen, en daarom is PA so trots om met die SAKK ge-assosieer te word. Dit is die eerste keer in hulle geskiedenis dat die Kaapse Korps hulself openlik aan enige politieke organisasie heg.

Lillian Wakkies, die president van die SAKK Militêre Veterane Vereniging, sê: "Ons as die SAKK het reeds maande gelede besluit dat ons met PA moet werk. PA is die eerste party wat alles doen en sê wat ons in 'n politieke organisasie soek. Ons bruin mense was nog nooit so oor die hoof gesien nie en PA sal ons politieke stem in die Parlement wees na die 7de Mei se verkiesing. Ons moedig al ons bruin mense, wie teen die tyd al moeg is vir dieselfde ou beloftes van die ander partye, om saam te staan ​​en PA te ondersteun.

"Die departement van militêre veterane vat so lank om ons die nodige erkenning te gee. Ons sertifikaat, wat die minister moes uitreik, is nog steeds nie uitgereik nie. Dit is 'n voorbeeld van hoe ons bruin mense eenvoudig nie as belangrik genoeg geag word nie. Die MK veterane kry boonop sakegeleenthede en gaan net vorentoe.

"Maar dis nie net ons militêre veterane wat verdien om erkenning te kry nie. Die eienaarskap van ons stadsraad woonstelle moet oorgeteken word aan ons mense en PA sal verseker dat ons as gelyke burgers behandel word waar PA regeer."

President van die Patriotic Alliance, Gayton McKenzie, sê: "Die SAKK is trotse soldate wie toegewyd werk om hul gemeenskappe op te hef. Hulle het vir hierdie land geveg, maar kry vandag nie die erkenning en respek wat hulle toekom nie. Ek bewonder hul ondersteuning vir hierdie party, omdat hulle Patriotic Alliance vir ’n groter doel wil laat groei. Hulle wil sien hoe bruin mense in die algeheel 'n politieke stem verkry en beheer terug vat vir hulle eie toekoms. Dit het nog nooit in Suid-Afrika gebeur nie."

Die Patriotic Alliance is 'n nie-rassige party met sy wortels in die bruin gemeenskap. Reg bo aan die party se agenda is die belange en probleme van die bruin gemeenskappe en om dit so spoedig as moontlik reg te stel. Dit party geniet tans die ondersteuning van kerk groepe, burgerlike organisasies en Khoisan-leiers regoor die Wes- en Noord-Kaap. In die laaste ses maande het PA vinnig ontwikkel van sy vredemaker rol onder gemeenskappe wat deur bendegeweld geteister word. Die party geniet reeds sterk politieke teenwoordigheid en sal na verwagting sterk vertoon by die stembus op 7 Mei.

Ten spyte van die party se agtergrond, werf dit lede van alle ras en ekonomiese groepe en het breë beleide vir die skepping van 'n meer gelyke, polities en sosio-ekonomies regverdige Suid-Afrika. Die party wil Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging in maatskappye verander om seker te maak dat bemagtiging alle voorheen-benadeelde Suid-Afrikaners direk baat.

Om direk met SAKK president Lillian Wakkies te praat, is haar nommer 071 371 1694.

Vir enige verdere onderhoude rakende PA, kontak woordvoerder Charles Cilliers by 079 127 1575.

UITGEREIK DEUR PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE

PA President Gayton McKenzie's full letter to president of the country Jacob Zuma on bringing peace to gang-torn communities

Dear President Jacob Zuma

Re: A near-term solution to lowering violence among gang-torn communities

Mr President, I realise you have been asked to deploy the army on the Cape Flats before. But the day a president declares a state of emergency and asks troops to restore order among civilians is a terrible day.

For Helen Zille to once again ask for the army to be sent in is disingenuous. She knows only too well that it won’t be done. Gangsterism is not a military problem. It’s a socioeconomic one.

But something needs to be done. At any given moment in the Western Cape, there is a child in a hospital fighting for his or her life because of being caught in gang crossfire.

Last week I almost wrote to you to add my voice to the call that the army be deployed to combat gangsterism on the Cape Flats. But I could not bring myself to  write that letter. And then the news broke that our military is in such a critical state of decline that it could take ten years to fix.

Many more young coloured men are dying every day than the white rhino. But the rhino dominates international headlines; the deaths of our people are simply fodder for local tabloids. The deaths of the rhino are such a hot topic on government’s agenda that you were willing to send in the army to protect the rhino. The army even crashed a helicopter in the Kruger Park while trying to save the rhinos.

But I don’t give a damn about the damn rhino any more. I wish they could all be wiped out tomorrow so that our people could move higher up the priority ladder. We can’t play second fiddle to the rhino.

Sending in the army is not the solution, but we do need a solution.

Part of the solution is the SA Cape Corps (SACC). There are more than 72 000 of them in the Western Cape alone. They have not enjoyed the same recognition as the other military veterans groups, but they remain proud soldiers who want to serve this country. They were made to fight by the apartheid government and were treated as second-class soldiers. But they were among the best soldiers the SA army produced. And now they are being treated as second-class citizens by the post-apartheid government too.

But they are soldiers, proud ones who should not be disregarded … as they have been for so long.

These soldiers are highly trained, experienced and fearless. It is simply good fortune for South Africa that most of them have resisted becoming part of gang activities, even though many are today without work and are being made to wait and to fight for their benefits after all those years of service.

They still want to contribute. I hear it from them every day.

Re-enlist and redeploy these highly trained men and women to keep law and order in our ganglands.

They can be re-equipped, given refresher courses within a matter of weeks and our communities will be safer immediately.

The police are no longer the solution. The courts are not the solution. The prisons are not the solution.

Our police force is compromised. Some police officers are themselves part of gangs. The insiders warn gangs when raids are about to happen. They arrange raids on rival gangs to confiscate drugs, abalone or other illicit materials, only to ensure the confiscated goods end up in the hands of other gangs, their gangs. So the drugs keep coming. The wars continue.

The police are no longer respected. They have lost authority. Many of our policemen are themselves struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction or simply low morale. Many policemen are being asked to patrol in areas where they grew up and where they and their families still live. The gangsters know exactly who they are and can threaten their families.

That’s not even the worst of it. Years ago, I was myself a gangster. Nothing made me happier than a policeman who preferred to get a loan from a gangster than from a loan shark. It only takes a small percentage of corrupt cops to undo the work of all the good cops. There are good cops out there, but they are not winning the battle.

As many as 3 000 service firearms go “lost” every year. They are the same guns the outlaws use on the streets to wage their gang wars. The fact that police guns are being used by gangs is the biggest sign that our police are incapable of eradicating gangsterism.

We need to face facts and send in the SACC. We need to prevent violence instead of mopping up behind it. We are mopping up the blood of our children.

We need the gang squad to be brought back, but it will take time to recruit and train cops who we will be able to trust in the fight against gangsterism. What happens over the next year, if an interim force isn’t there to restore peace? My party, the Patriotic Alliance, has managed to negotiate a peace settlement among the gangs in Manenberg and other areas, including Kraaifontein. And we are still working in Mitchells Plain and other towns including Worcestor. Our peace has a chance, but it cannot be a permanent solution. The SACC is not a permanent solution either, but someone needs to be there while the gang squad is being prepared; some group needs to be there to stop our children from being killed just because their auntie sent them to the shop to buy bread. Major-General Vearey and his men are not enough to make a big enough dent in the fight against gang violence. We need to send in the SA Cape Corps.

Restoring hope and opportunities to people in gang-affected communities is the most important tool to encouraging people as a group to make the right choices every day, because they should know that there are options available to them to survive that do not include violence and having the “most fearsome reputation in the neighbourhood”. But to date, no political administration has done nearly enough to create such a sense of hope and renewal and this is the only thing that will bring long-term positive change. But in the meantime, our people need the SA Cape Corps.

It’s election season, so all politicians will try in some way to score cheap points out of their reactions to the gang violence, but none of that is saving our children.

Let us work together to bring a lasting peace to the Western Cape. Let our communities work together to manage their own problems, and the SACC are from these communities, they are part of these communities. They should be a big part of the solution.

I trust you will apply your mind and considerable resources, Mr President, to these suggestions. I would appreciate an open dialogue with you on finding a national solution to this problem as gangsterism ultimately affects us all. I shall also be circulating this letter to the media in the interests of openness and an invitation to the public to add their voice, either for or against, suggestions for what needs to be done to create peace in what are often little more than civilian war zones.

Yours sincerely

Mr Gayton McKenzie

President, Patriotic Alliance