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
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