tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89569919477587757632024-03-14T07:32:29.688+02:00Patriotic Alliance NewsPatriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-2160179820872428332014-05-14T16:37:00.001+02:002014-05-14T16:48:07.991+02:00PA’s post-election plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) was launched in 2013 in the hope that it would become a viable and credible alternative to the DA and the ANC. That is a hope that the party’s founders and members continue to hold.<br />
<br />
This party is grateful to the more than 13 000 people who understood the vision and aims of PA and cast their vote for us. Naturally, we expected much more support and the enormous amount of work that the party put in ahead of the elections led us to believe that we would do a great deal better last week. However, in politics it does take time to change voter patterns and attitudes and we believe that a strong foundation has been laid from which to grow PA and ultimately make it a force to be reckoned with. We received almost half of our votes in provinces that we barely campaigned, which tells us that now is the time to build strong institutional structures so that party members nationwide can begin to activate support in their areas. We expected the Western Cape to give us our largest chunk of support, and while that was indeed the case, it’s clear that this party’s message needs to go out more strongly if we are to reach the people who need our green revolution the most. Our president has spent the days following the election travelling to branches, to encourage them and explain the plans for the future.<br />
<br />
We need all other provinces to come on board for the future. One lesson from this election for us is that one cannot rely too heavily on one area or one section of the electorate, especially when you have a manifesto like our own, which can appeal to any South African.<br />
<br />
We focused a great deal on the so-called coloured vote. We made inroads in this constituency and the injustices visited upon coloured people will remain high on our agenda, but it cannot remain our sole focus and was never intended to. All the same, it is simply not acceptable that the “coloured vote” can be attracted so cheaply. Our people need more than T-shirts, food parcels and statistics on billboards at voting time. They need to be given business opportunities in the areas they live; they need to be given ownership of council homes that they have been paying for decades; they need access to their age-old fishing rights; they need to be able to walk freely without fear of being shot in gang violence; they need to be treated as equal citizens and acknowledged as people who are as dispossessed, or even more dispossessed, than any other group in South Africa. The day will come when they will no longer vote for parties who do no more for them than offer empty promises.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, all South Africa’s people deserve better. We took a decision during the formation of this party that we would focus our time and resources on offering a political solution to coloured people that they had never had before. Part of that came about because of our successful peace-making efforts in gang areas. But PA is about far more than only that, and now that we have more time available, we will be demonstrating why we took pains to point out that we are truly a non-racial party. Before this election, we already took on the cause of the Klipheuwel community, which is a disgrace to the Durbanville municipality. These people have been living in Klipheuwel since the eighties and still cannot be given one electricity connection. All they have received from successive governments in charge was empty promises at voting time. The Durbanville municipality has already contradicted itself by building piped water connections in Klipheuwel, only to say that it cannot now add electricity connections on private land. Why is the municipality happy to “break the law” for water supply, but not for electricity? The answer is that it suits their budget, but that is a travesty. The Klipheuwel community became so disaffected that they vowed never to vote again. In its turn, PA took their plight to the Human Rights Commission, which has subsequently escalated their case to the Public Protector. Most of the affected people here are not part of the coloured community, and we feel equally strongly about their difficult conditions. Similarly, in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Langa and many other areas in the Western Cape and, of course, countrywide, our people are being taken for granted by ruling parties. One day that tide must turn.<br />
<br />
PA is here to improve all of South Africa, whether you are white, black, coloured, Indian or anything else. We want these labels to become relatively meaningless, but that is only possible if we can all become equal economically, politically and socially.<br />
<br />
PA will work towards a time when all people will be demonstrably equal. We knew from the outset that the task of changing people’s lives is not something that can be achieved overnight.<br />
<br />
We will be contesting another two by-elections on 28 May, and others will also follow. The only by-election that we contested, earlier this year, was in Vredendal (the Matzikama region) and we placed third overall there during this general election, with more than 5% of the vote. That indicates the value of contesting such smaller elections vigorously. This will be part of our plan towards building for the 2016 local government elections.<br />
<br />
We trust that, slowly but surely, the electorate will come to understand that PA is here for them and is here to stay. There will come a tipping point when PA becomes what we always knew it could be and what our detractors still fear it might be.<br />
<br />
ISSUED BY PATRIOTIC ALLIANCEPatriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-6881942043460022562014-05-05T20:30:00.000+02:002014-05-05T20:30:22.167+02:00Patriotic Alliance’s complaint to the Public Protector regarding Filcon<div class="p1">
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has today formally lodged a complaint with the Public Protector regarding the alleged irregularities in the awarding of substantial tenders to Filcon by the City of Cape Town.</div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We trust that this matter will be investigated with the same professionalism that the Public Protector brings to areas governed by other political parties, ie, non-DA-led municipalities and provinces.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We reiterate here, as explained in the letter to the Public Protector, that the DA’s image belies years of corruption and diversion of resources that should have gone towards poor communities. What is of great concern is not necessarily that the DA’s administration is not as clean as many would like to believe — but that they have been able to keep it relatively quiet for so long.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We also note that the ANC in this province has been trumpeting the Filcon scandal with glee. They are, unfortunately, the pot calling the kettle black. Only a new political voice speaking on behalf of the Cape’s poor communities will be able to address the severe socioeconomic issues currently holding these ordinary citizens hostage. The Patriotic Alliance has been working tirelessly over the last year to be that voice.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We feel it is important to share our submission to the Public Protector with the media because our other submission to this Chapter Nine institution (regarding housing in Tulbagh) was not acknowledged over the course of the last two months. It was certainly not investigated. For this reason, we approached the Human Rights Commission over another matter in Klipheuwel, where poor residents there have been waiting for electricity connections for more than twenty years and have been given the runaround by first the NP-, then the ANC- and now the DA-led governments.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Human Rights Commission escalated our concerns over Klipheuwel to the Public Protector and we trust it will be harder for Ms Thuliu Madonsela to ignore both us AND the Human Rights Commission.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Please find our letter to the Public Protector attached.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Yours sincerely,</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Gayton McKenzie, President Patriotic Alliance</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>ISSUED BY PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>The full letter to the Public Protector, below:</b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6dwVNP_Mv0/U2fYJEzkOJI/AAAAAAAAAkg/WHlHAmlXq4I/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6dwVNP_Mv0/U2fYJEzkOJI/AAAAAAAAAkg/WHlHAmlXq4I/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-1.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlsNUsXtbNw/U2fYKOiBA2I/AAAAAAAAAkk/6RYkdu1HtZU/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlsNUsXtbNw/U2fYKOiBA2I/AAAAAAAAAkk/6RYkdu1HtZU/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-2.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7WT_Z_dqvyg/U2fYIo2Wi9I/AAAAAAAAAkc/jcskSjSG4KE/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7WT_Z_dqvyg/U2fYIo2Wi9I/AAAAAAAAAkc/jcskSjSG4KE/s1600/PA+Public+Protector+submission+Filcon-3.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-1065045294773342672014-04-29T12:00:00.004+02:002014-05-05T20:48:04.367+02:00SA Cape Corps joins Patriotic Alliance<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kCMzBPRipic/U2fcoT-LZ8I/AAAAAAAAAlA/Pm0_deyDD0Y/s1600/SAKK+soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kCMzBPRipic/U2fcoT-LZ8I/AAAAAAAAAlA/Pm0_deyDD0Y/s1600/SAKK+soldiers.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><b>Tuesday, 29 April 2014</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>For Immediate Release: Patriotic Alliance joined by the SA Cape Corps (SACC) Military Veterans</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is today proud to announce that it has formally partnered with the SA Cape Corps Military Veterans countrywide.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">“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.”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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.”</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>To speak to president Lillian Wakkies directly, her number is 071 371 1694.</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>For any further interviews regarding PA, contact spokesperson Charles Cilliers on 079 127 1575.</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>ISSUED BY PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</b></span></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-56631280941337970502014-04-29T11:56:00.001+02:002014-05-05T20:47:29.053+02:00Vir onmiddellike vrystelling: SAKK Militêre Veterane sluit aan by Patriotic Alliance<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kCMzBPRipic/U2fcoT-LZ8I/AAAAAAAAAk8/WRZrlgUUk-Q/s1600/SAKK+soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kCMzBPRipic/U2fcoT-LZ8I/AAAAAAAAAk8/WRZrlgUUk-Q/s1600/SAKK+soldiers.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="s1"><b>Dinsdag 29 April, 2014</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Vir onmiddellike vrystelling: SAKK Militêre Veterane sluit aan by Patriotic Alliance</b></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">Patriotic Alliance (PA) is trots om vandag aan te kondig dat dit ’n formele vennootskap met die SA Kaapse Korps Militêre Veterane geteken het.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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. </span><span class="s2">Ou SAKK soldate bewys nog steeds militêre dissipline en werksetiek en geniet ook die respek van hul gemeenskappe.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">"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.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">"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."</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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."</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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.</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p5">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1">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.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Om direk met SAKK president Lillian Wakkies te praat, is haar nommer 071 371 1694.</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Vir enige verdere onderhoude rakende PA, kontak woordvoerder Charles Cilliers by 079 127 1575.</b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>UITGEREIK DEUR PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</b></span></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-41609655440418933662014-04-10T07:42:00.001+02:002014-04-10T07:46:43.061+02:00PA President Gayton McKenzie's full letter to president of the country Jacob Zuma on bringing peace to gang-torn communities<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>1031</o:Words>
<o:Characters>5882</o:Characters>
<o:Company>X-Concepts</o:Company>
<o:Lines>49</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>13</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>6900</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tw73Xymfu2I/U0YufeCcoGI/AAAAAAAAAho/fYi2wwHzgmw/s1600/Gayton+PA+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tw73Xymfu2I/U0YufeCcoGI/AAAAAAAAAho/fYi2wwHzgmw/s1600/Gayton+PA+Pic.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear President Jacob Zuma<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Re: A near-term solution to lowering violence among
gang-torn communities<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">Sending in the army is not the solution, but we do need a solution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">But they are soldiers, proud ones who should not be disregarded … as
they have been for so long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">They still want to contribute. I hear it from them every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">Re-enlist and redeploy these highly trained men and women to keep law
and order in our ganglands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">They can be re-equipped, given refresher courses within a matter of
weeks and our communities will be safer immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">The police are no longer the solution. The courts are not the solution.
The prisons are not the solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US">Yours sincerely<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mr Gayton McKenzie<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
President, Patriotic Alliance<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-14088890151021550752014-03-07T11:08:00.003+02:002014-03-07T11:08:34.049+02:00DA founder Freddie Kearns has joined Patriotic AllianceMr Freddie Kearns resigned last week as the Democratic Alliance ward councillor for Ward 25 in the City of Cape Town and immediately joined the Patriotic Alliance.<div>
He was a founding member of the DA with Tony Leon along with his brother in law Dan Plato, the former mayor of Cape Town and now the minister for community safety in the Western Cape. Mr Kearns has been a leading figure in the DA for many years, but his departure shows that change is afoot in the Western Cape. The DA's maladministration, corruption and power-hungry tactics have continued for too long without the media getting wind of it. In many ways, the DA has enjoyed an easy time of it in the press because South Africa has so badly wanted an opposition that was more ethical and clean than the ANC. But covering up what the DA is really like is not the same as helping to build a better, stronger opposition against the political ills that plague our country.</div>
<div>
The final straw for Mr Kearns was the debacle around the City of Cape Town's new logo. The way R300 000 was spent on this ridiculous piece of imagery and the millions more that updating it across the entire city's branding would cost taxpayers was simply too objectionable. Councillors were merely ordered to vote in favour of it without being given time to reflect on the matter and vote it in democratically. It raises serious questions around how the DA understands the Municipal Finance Management Act and if the public protector does not take it on herself to investigate this debacle, the PA would be obliged to request an investigation.</div>
<div>
We welcome Freddie Kearns to the party, sure in the knowledge that there are others like him who intend to follow. His years of experience, political credibility and vision for a Cape Town free of the scourge of gangsterism will only help to further the Patriotic Alliance's growth.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here follow a selection of news articles that appeared this morning about Mr Kearns' move to the PA:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
DAILY VOICE</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i59TeJl2ntE/UxmIxOV6DGI/AAAAAAAAAeY/GBouyBPlZ1A/s1600/Daily+Voice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i59TeJl2ntE/UxmIxOV6DGI/AAAAAAAAAeY/GBouyBPlZ1A/s1600/Daily+Voice.jpg" height="542" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
DIE SON<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uj5jzwxw3ew/UxmIxcBoplI/AAAAAAAAAec/-0y6mmj1Vok/s1600/Die+Son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uj5jzwxw3ew/UxmIxcBoplI/AAAAAAAAAec/-0y6mmj1Vok/s1600/Die+Son.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
CAPE ARGUS: </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-da2oyg4-2d8/UxmMbwJlOxI/AAAAAAAAAes/pDWdJ_IRdHY/s1600/Cape+Argus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-da2oyg4-2d8/UxmMbwJlOxI/AAAAAAAAAes/pDWdJ_IRdHY/s1600/Cape+Argus.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-87415544637949951212014-02-19T20:33:00.000+02:002014-02-25T10:15:42.746+02:00"Gangster party" issue has been set straight for goodWe as the Patriotic Alliance would like to express our full gratitude for the ruling of the press ombudsman that it was highly inaccurate for Sapa to refer to us as a party that "consists of gangsters". He also went on to point what we ourselves have always emphasised: that we were formed in order to create a society that would help to <i>eradicate</i> gangsterism.<br />
<br />
We are encouraged by this act of moderating the press through its own processes. As a party we are not entirely satisfied however that Sapa actually apologised in a fair and accurate spirit following the directive of the ombudsman, to which we have issued a further complaint. But the biggest victory remains ours.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Here follows the full text of the ombudsman's ruling:<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Wed, Feb 12, 2014</b><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Ruling by the Press Ombudsman</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
12 February 2014</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
This ruling is based on the written submissions of Mr Charles Cilliers, on behalf of Mr Gayton Mckenzie of the Patriotic Alliance, and Mark van der Velden, editor of Sapa.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<strong>Complaint</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Cilliers complains about a Sapa story which was circulated to several online publications in December 2013.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) complains the statement “of fact” in the story that it was a party that “consisted of gangsters” was inaccurate and damaging.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<strong>Analysis</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The story said that the parole of Mr Rasheed Staggie, former Hard Livings gang leader on the Cape Flats, had been revoked because he had joined a political party, the PA, “which consisted of gangsters”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The PA complains that this depiction was false. It says that the police in the Western Cape alleged that the party was made up of gangsters, but it could provide no evidence to this effect – and Sapa made a leap to present this unfounded allegation as fact.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Sapa replies that due to an editing error the word “reportedly” was dropped from the sentence. It argues, though, that Mckenzie (who co-formed the PA in November 2013) was a convicted criminal who said in a Metro FM interview that gangsters were joining his party, and also: “They can call me a gangster. They can call us a gangster party. But they’ll see me at the polls.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The news agency offers to do an interview with Mckenzie “to tell us more about his political party, what it stands for and who its members are, which we will then storify and distribute on our wire as a fresh and relevant and interesting news report”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The PA accepts this proposal on condition that the story should be written as an apology. It says that it was vitally important “that Sapa (does) not attempt to weasel out of an apology”.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Sapa takes exception to the use of the word “weasel”, and refuses to apologise.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
I also find the use of the word “weasel” rather unfortunate.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The main issue, though, is the question if Sapa should apologise for its mistake, or merely correct it (with or without a new story).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The yardstick that I constantly use when deciding about the above, is the question how much unnecessary harm a mistake may have caused the affected party.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Therefore, I need to do some research into what the PA stands for.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
According to an internet search:</div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="width: 590px;">McKenzie explained that the inspiration for the formation of PA came from the extraordinary levels of gang violence during 2013 in the Western Cape. He stated that he believed that the governments in the Western Cape had not done enough to eradicate the root causes of gangsterism and crime and that the only way to ensure that this could be changed would be if a new political entity was established to address this issue.<br />
While the party has stated that one of its key aims is the eradication of the sociopolitical and socioeconomic conditions that cause gangsterism and crime, almost all criticism and satire levelled at the PA has focused on the perception that the PA is a “gangster party”. PA leaders have, however, countered that they have been open about their discussions with gang leaders and this group is merely one among many others that have been consulted in talks ahead of the formation of the party. The PA stated that calling the party an organisation exclusively for gangsters is an attempt to intimidate people into not joining the party.<br />
Despite police sources claiming that most of the 250 people who attended the pre-launch event were prominent gangsters and businessmen with underworld links, and that it was being led by members of the notorious 26s numbers prison gang, no one in the party’s leadership structures is a confirmed gang member.<br />
The PA has also stated they would not allow an active gang member to assume a leadership position in the party, though no South African citizen would be prevented from joining the party.<br />
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
· There is nothing on the PA’s website (<a href="http://www.paparty.org.za/" style="color: #0b2161; text-decoration: none;">www.paparty.org.za</a>) that contradicts the information mentioned above.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
From this (and I have no reason to disbelieve the information in the articles that I have read) it is clear that the PA wants to <em>eradicate </em>gangsterism, rather than be a party of gangsters. The description of the PA as “consisting of gangsters” therefore goes against a central conviction of the party and could only have caused it huge unnecessary harm. This was both inaccurate and unfair.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Based on all the information at my disposal I can accept that some members or supporters of the PA are gangsters. However, that probably goes for some other parties as well. The point is that nowhere does the PA encourage gangers to join its ranks <em>because they are gangsters</em>. Moreover, the fact that some of its leadership are convicted criminals, does in itself not mean that they are or were gangsters.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The fact that the PA is often described in the media as a party of gangsters should not serve as an excuse to perpetuate this description. Even the use of the word “reportedly”, which was edited out, would not have sufficiently rectified the matter.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
This reminds me of an earlier ruling, where Mr Julius Malema complained that a newspaper erroneously stated that one of his houses was worth R16 million. One publication after the other merely quoted from each other, not bothering to find out the truth for itself. I then asked the architect for an official evaluation of the property, which amounted to R8.5 million.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The danger of this kind of reporting is that, if one repeats a false statement often enough, it becomes the truth in the eyes of the public.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<strong>Finding</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The description of the PA as a party that consists of gangsters was <strong>in breach of</strong> Section 2.1 of the Press Code that states: “The press shall take care to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<strong>Sanction</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Sapa is directed <strong>to apologise</strong> to the PA and to send out the following text:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Sapa circulated a story in December 2013 in which we inaccurately and unfairly depicted the newly formed Cape-based political party the Patriotic Alliance (PA) as a body that “consisted of gangsters”, causing it unnecessary harm.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The party lodged a complaint with the Press Ombudsman, Johan Retief, who said that the PA clearly stated that it rather wants to <em>eradicate </em>gangsterism.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
“The description of the PA as ‘consisting of gangsters’ therefore goes against a central conviction of the party and therefore it could only have caused it huge unnecessary harm. This was both inaccurate and unfair,” he said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Retief stated that, based on the information at his disposal, he could accept that some members or supporters of the PA were gangsters. “However, that probably goes for some other parties as well. The point is that nowhere does the PA encourage gangers to join its ranks <em>because they are gangsters</em>. Moreover, the fact that some of its leadership are convicted criminals, does in itself not mean that they are or were gangsters.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
He added that, although the PA is often described in the media as a party of gangsters, this should not serve as an excuse to perpetuate this description. Even the insertion of the word ‘reportedly’, which was edited out, would not have sufficiently rectified the matter.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
“The danger of this kind of reporting is that, if one repeats a false statement often enough, it becomes the truth in the eyes of the public,” Retief said.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
We regret any unnecessary harm that this description may have caused the PA.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Visit <a href="http://www.presscouncil.org.za/" style="color: #0b2161; text-decoration: none;">www.presscouncil.org.za</a> for the full finding.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<em>End of text</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
The possibility of a separate story about the PA is <strong>left up to Sapa’s discretion</strong>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Johan Retief</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
Press Ombudsman</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2wMVOWKTMM/UwuSC5OpLhI/AAAAAAAAAdo/2fHfKz-W4qw/s1600/A3+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2wMVOWKTMM/UwuSC5OpLhI/AAAAAAAAAdo/2fHfKz-W4qw/s1600/A3+poster.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-62477927241082970832014-02-07T10:59:00.000+02:002014-02-07T11:02:39.448+02:00Secretary-General Kenny Kunene's open letter to the Public Protector<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Public Protector Thuli Madonsela<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To start with, I want to commend you for the hard work you
have done in the fight against state corruption. In many ways, you have shown
what is possible when a Public Protector works hard and applies herself as you have
done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But over these last few days, while the circus of Mamphela
Ramphele and the DA played out, I asked myself what you were making of it. Did
you know something about it the rest of us didn’t?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unhappy DA members are leaving that party. Many are joining
the Patriotic Alliance or have already joined us. Those very same DA people
told us months ago that Glynnis Breytenbach was being prepared to join the DA.
They told us about the secret DA donor who was forcing DA leader Helen Zille to
go into a coalition with Mamphela Ramphele. We struggled to believe it then.
Now it’s all an accepted fact.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when they told me the Public Protector is secretly part
of the DA, and will become the head of the DA, I believed them. Crazy as it
sounds, I realised it must be true.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything you have done, particularly in recent years,
makes the point:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The speed with which you investigate cases
reported by the DA is not the same as that reported by anyone else. It is as if
you are on the DA’s speed dial.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You addressed a DA rally in 2012 and were
unapologetic about it. You even tried to feign ignorance that you didn’t know
it was a DA rally. Surely all those blue T-shirts would have been a giveaway.
Don’t think we’re stupid. You’ve never spoken at another party’s rally. The
Constitution requires that the Public Protector be independent, impartial and
exercise her powers without fear or prejudice. Addressing the DA’s rally showed
you are not impartial. You should have resigned if you are as ethical as you
try to make out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You investigated the DA government’s
communications tender in the Western Cape and found them guilty in your
provisional report. After input from Premier Helen Zille’s office, your final
report absolved the Western Cape of corruption. How convenient for the DA. The
Justice Factor on e.tv even called you the Loser of the Week when that
happened. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Why have you not investigated the DA’s clear
abuses of power in the Western Cape, such as the illegal evictions of the
“Marikana” shack dwellers at Philippi? The DA is using state resources to
protect privately owned land. That is illegal. But we don’t see any reports on
that from you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several other issues too; the facts show you are
biased towards the DA. You are owned by white monopoly capital, which is
protected by the DA. You are already secure in the knowledge that when your
term ends, your next job will be at the DA.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all agree there is corruption in the ANC-led government.
It is right for you to investigate all of that corruption as per your
constitutional mandate. But there have been times when you have been no better
than the people you investigate. When your son crashed your state-owned BMW X6
into a wall, the media treated you with kid gloves, even after your daughter
tweeted she was happy he did it because your new car was “so much sexier”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The media is yet to complain about the hefty price tag of
your state car, but we see angry headlines weekly about ministers and their
cars. It is right to complain about government overspending, but why not when
it applies to you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your son even arrogantly said: “Would you rather my mum
travel in taxis while she’s waiting for her car?” The comments of both your
children clearly show the principles (or lack of them) that they have been
taught in your home and why they see state property as their playthings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the same thing had happened to any other person in
government, they would have been ceremonially hung, drawn and quartered by the
media; if you had investigated such a case, your recommendation would have been
resignation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The DA has many servants within the National Prosecuting Authority.
We saw that with Breytenbach. They have also deployed many members within the
upper echelons of the media; that much was clear when their party list came
out. That’s why you are their PR project.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just admit it, Ms Madonsela: You are a DA member. You will
be heading up the party and be the DA’s presidential candidate for 2019. We
know this is true, so stop hiding and just front up about it and tell us the
truth. Resign and leave us in the hands of someone with integrity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have been used as a pawn and are a disgrace to the office
of the Public Protector. You are no different from those who were used by the
white apartheid regime to protect their own interests. I’m sorry if reading
this letter has robbed you of time you would otherwise have dedicated to
investigating those not liked by the DA or white monopoly capital.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you incorrectly declared last year that you were not
accountable to Parliament, you knew then what I know now: you are in fact only
accountable to your secret masters. It’s now clearer why your deputy, Kevin
Malunga, decided he wanted nothing more to do with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many will question why I have written this. The answer is
simple: My party and I are challenging the same DA-led government that you are
protecting and defending in the Western Cape. I’m writing this because we will
be in a direct election fight with the DA, and I can’t sit idly by and see
their election plan come to fruition, with you an integral part of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the first time, the DA has a credible challenger against
them in the Western Cape. We beat them on the farms at the end of last month
during the Vredendal by-elections. They’ve never been beaten by a small party
like that before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So yes, I’m happy to fight the DA. But I’d rather not have
to fight you too. Please just give back the state’s “sexy car” and put on your
blue T-shirt. I’m sure it fits you perfectly.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Kenny Kunene<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8Lq4gGZ2e8/UvSgUmOB8VI/AAAAAAAAAcs/oNsoboMGmBU/s1600/kenny+at+launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8Lq4gGZ2e8/UvSgUmOB8VI/AAAAAAAAAcs/oNsoboMGmBU/s1600/kenny+at+launch.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>867</o:Words>
<o:Characters>4942</o:Characters>
<o:Company>X-Concepts</o:Company>
<o:Lines>41</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>11</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>5798</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-22445346406004053492014-01-30T14:24:00.002+02:002014-01-30T14:24:57.060+02:00Statement on the by-election results in Vredendal, Ward 4<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4a-0kctq_Y4/UupESLw3XFI/AAAAAAAAAcE/cfQ1RbO1oh4/s1600/DSC00126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4a-0kctq_Y4/UupESLw3XFI/AAAAAAAAAcE/cfQ1RbO1oh4/s1600/DSC00126.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
The Patriotic Alliance did not achieve its desired results
in yesterday’s by-election, but we proved that we are a political force and
must be taken seriously. Indeed, our political opponents certainly no longer
underestimate us. The presence of top officials from the province’s senior
structures during this by-election have confirmed that and the amount of work
that these parties had to do in order to beat us also shows that the Patriotic
Alliance is a force to be reckoned with.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of today, this party is officially two months old. We
entered this by-election shortly after this party’s formation and signed up
hundreds of IEC-registered voters as members in the Vredendal area. We have
hundreds more who will be registered by the time of the national election. What
is happening in Vredendal will expand across the rest of the province and the
country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It took the presence of at least four ANC ministers, including Trevor Manuel,
wholesale intimidation of our voters (including physical violence against them)
and what we believe was a shameless manipulation of the voters’ roll for the
ANC to win this election. The DA, too, sent top officials, including Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille. Even with them having done that, they were not sure
that they had indeed done enough. This election was not about winning a ward.
It was about attempting to humiliate the Patriotic Alliance. But they failed to
achieve that in any way. The green wave will continue to surge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were two voting stations yesterday, one on the farms
and one in the township. On the farms, the ANC took 176 votes, the PA took 139,
the DA took 121 and TPICO took three. There were five spoilt ballots. We were
heartened that we were able to beat the DA in a place where they are often
strong. In the township, the ANC received 562 votes and the DA 560 votes. The
PA won 301. TPICO took the small remainder, less than 4%.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It goes without saying that the ANC and the DA are heavy
political players and are well established. TPICO has four council seats in the
municipality and the mayor himself contested for his party in this by-election.
In this context, the level of support the PA received is extraordinary. It is a
moral victory, if not an outright one. Almost a quarter of Vredendal’s people
came out to give their vote to the PA. For a new party, that is extraordinary.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We, along with the DA and TPICO raised serious concerns
about the fairness of this election. We as the PA have proof that the voters’
roll was seriously compromised in favour of the ANC and that the IEC attempted
to frustrate our efforts to win here yesterday. This is a fight that goes far
beyond the matter of one town council seat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The IEC is this country’s most important institution. If we
cannot trust it, then all hope for the future of democracy will be lost. The PA
will not stand idly by and allow this to happen. We raised our concerns in
writing with the IEC three days before the election and all of our fears were
realised. The IEC will have to explain how these things could have occurred
under their watch and flouting every principle they were established to defend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the same, our presence in this election has raised the
level of political contestation considerably. Hundreds more voted in this
election than in the municipal elections of 2011. The PA exposed the serious
weaknesses of the other parties, who have had a chance to prove themselves in
these communities for decades and have failed in numerous ways. Our presence
finally made them realise the true cost of failing the people. We will continue
to have a presence in Vredendal, which will ensure that the level of political
engagement by the established parties will have to remain at a high level or we
shall surely defeat them in the years to come. The PA exists because of
dissatisfaction with how the big parties treat our people. If our existence
alone changes that, then we have achieved our aims, whether we ever win one
election or not. But we trust and believe that we will win in future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are grateful and humbled by the votes we received. These
are people who have put their faith in the PA and we resolve that while we may
fail to win all the votes, we will never fail any of our voters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We must thank all our selfless and hard-working canvassers
for their weeks of tireless effort. We thank the party members and volunteers
in the community who stood shoulder to shoulder with us. Our heartfelt thanks
go to Jacky Gorden, our candidate. Jacky, there will be another round and we
will not lose again. We also want to thank the four white voters from Vredendal
who cast their vote for us. They understand that we are a non-racial party that
wants to put the needs of people (not a certain kind of person) first. People
is why we are here and people will keep us here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have learnt much during these first two months and it
will stand us in good stead for the bigger fight to come. The message is clear:
we stand strong, with one aim, united and undeterred. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Never has anyone found more encouragement in the face of
defeat. We came here with nothing and left knowing hundreds of compatriots are
behind us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yours in patriotism,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kenny Kunene<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>775</o:Words>
<o:Characters>4424</o:Characters>
<o:Company>X-Concepts</o:Company>
<o:Lines>36</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>10</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>5189</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Secretary-General, Patriotic Alliance<o:p></o:p></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-82892608387812649432014-01-25T08:43:00.001+02:002014-01-25T08:45:29.795+02:00The Patriotic Alliance's by-election in Vredendal<div class="MsoNormal">
In three days, the country will see if it is possible for a
party barely two months old to win an election.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granted, it’s a by-election in a place few people have heard
of. But it’s a place where the message of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) has been
heard daily by the mostly coloured population who live in the township of
Vredendal Noord and the just more than 20 grape farms surrounding it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The DA won the ward in 2011, but their councillor, Patrick
Bok, walked over to the ANC, confident that he could take the people’s votes
with him in a by-election. But at the beginning of January, he would have been
distressed to see a stream of people in green T-shirts flooding the town.
Suddenly, there were ever more locals in green. Particularly on the farms, the
Patriotic Alliance has found the people very receptive to the promise of a
party that could be a viable, strong alternative to the DA and the ANC. The
PA’s campaign has been about constant visibility of canvassers, signing up
hundreds of people as party members, handing out shirts, dishing out fliers,
arranging competitions and braais, painting and fixing the houses of elderly women in the ward, offering a free legal service and following up with the freshly minted
members about what they want to see changed in their ward. On Saturday, the
plan was for 120 Cape Minstrels to parade through the town in support of the PA,
something most people in the town have never seen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In response, the ANC has attempted to discredit the party by
instructing its canvassers to reference rumours in the media that the party is
headed by gangsters, that its chairperson Jonas White was facing corruption
charges from when he was still an ANC mayor, that if they vote for the
Patriotic Alliance, their peaceful hamlet will be flooded with drugs and guns.
It’s not a message many seem to find credible, although it has made some in
the community doubt the green wave. But the PA goes back and puts its side. Only the vote tally will decide whose story was the most credible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Patriotic Alliance has no governance track record, but
when you speak to people on the farms they’ll tell you that their circumstances
have changed little over the last 20 years. In the township, many back yard
dwellers will tell you they have been on the waiting list for a house for more
than 15 years, yet they’ve seen people arriving from elsewhere to squat in the
area, only to be placed in RDP houses within a year or even months. Whether
it’s true or not is immaterial. What matters is the perception that the
established parties have failed on many of the big issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In response, the ANC has ordered two ministers to the area
in the past two weeks. Last weekend, it was Agriculture Minister Tina
Joemat-Pettersson who, according to reports from those who were at her
government meeting with farmworkers, spat fire and invective at the Patriotic
Alliance. On Friday, it was Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, again heading to the
farms. The DA sent Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille on Tuesday and reports
were that Premier Helen Zille herself would attend the party’s rally in the
town on Saturday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All this for a ward of a few thousand people in a little
“dorpie” 300km from Cape Town up the West Coast. If the PA is not a threat, as
both parties have repeatedly said, why then treat it as one?<br />
For these parties, this by-election is about much more than
just Vredendal. It’s about trying to break the green machine before it has a
chance to get up to speed. Because particularly in the Western Cape, this town
has proven that the Patriotic Alliance could become a headache and a hurdle to
both of the big parties’ Western Cape ambitions: to the DA’s attempt to keep
their slim majority in the province and the ANC’s quest to win it back.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PkrMgwqStv4/UuNbC6rgiWI/AAAAAAAAAbo/JDn0pCYr-TY/s1600/DSC09484+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PkrMgwqStv4/UuNbC6rgiWI/AAAAAAAAAbo/JDn0pCYr-TY/s1600/DSC09484+copy.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDqjVtY73DY/UuNb-AYBCsI/AAAAAAAAAbw/Hr3g5wnyNc0/s1600/photo+(7)+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDqjVtY73DY/UuNb-AYBCsI/AAAAAAAAAbw/Hr3g5wnyNc0/s1600/photo+(7)+copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">PA by-election candidate Jackeline Gorden </span>on the campaign trail in Vredendal<br />
<o:p></o:p>Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-39389586200646172842014-01-09T14:49:00.001+02:002014-01-09T14:49:47.130+02:00Patriotic Alliance Statement on the Line Fisheries Debacle: DA fights only for white rights while ANC misfires across the board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y8ajzmv3aAU/Us6a0hdvrFI/AAAAAAAAAaE/EZKPNLEraes/s1600/fishing+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y8ajzmv3aAU/Us6a0hdvrFI/AAAAAAAAAaE/EZKPNLEraes/s1600/fishing+boat.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<b style="background-color: white; font-size: 9pt;">DA fights only for white rights while ANC misfires across the board</b></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span mce_style="font-size:9pt" style="font-size: 9pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span mce_style="font-size:9pt" style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Att: All Media</b></span></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Statement by Gayton McKenzie, president of the Patriotic Alliance:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
The ownership of line-fishing quotas since their last awarding in 2005 and before have been majority-white. Each of those quotas represent a business opportunity for the holder. It is thus clearly and primarily the rights of white line-fishermen that the DA has vowed to so staunchly defend over the last week. They do so with vigour and determination but cannot show the same enthusiasm when a black or coloured complainant begs them for help.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
This is not a surprise, because the DA has long established itself as the watchdog of white monopoly capital interests. However, especially in the Western Cape, the DA has enjoyed the support of non-white voters, who hoped their faith in the DA would lead to change for them and their families. This has not happened and will not happen.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
The rights of traditional communities, who have a long history and association with fishing, have been steadily eroded. As Chief Abré Hector of the recently established Traditional Khoisan Marine Hawkers Association, with whom the PA is consulting, has stated, the rights of the direct descendants of the “Khoi and Bushman peoples of Africa have been grossly infringed, from the days of colonial interests by men like Cecil John Rhodes and his peers in the British South Africa Company until today”.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
These policies against our people have turned them into criminals who are forced to poach in their own waters. But they are the descendants of the people who laid eyes on those waters first in the predawn of history.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
By resolutely looking the other way as non-white communities have been robbed of their rights, to allow big business almost total control of our national marine wealth, the DA has betrayed the trust of the Cape people who voted for them almost five years ago. Little has changed for these people – our people – in that time. The DA becomes volubly upset only when a small community of white fishermen are hard done by by the ruling party – whose motives must also be questioned.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
The PA is totally opposed to any outcome that lowers job opportunities for people in fishing communities, especially those who work on the boats themselves and the hawkers and communities who rely on fish as part of their daily diet. It would be most unfortunate if Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson’s department, in an effort to promote transformation, actually makes life harder for historically disadvantaged communities. Her department has been dogged with scandal and reports of mismanagement. They no longer have the resources to protect and maintain our marine wealth, a lapse overseen by Joemat-Pettersson’s inept administration. This latest debacle must be viewed through the lens of the department’s past inadequacies. The task of fixing our fishing industry and the important economy around it is too much for them to deal with.</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
We as the Patriotic Alliance have made the reform, transformation and reinvigoration of the fishing industry one of our keystone policies. It is an issue that goes to the heart of many of the communities that support the party in coastal regions. We look forward to the day when the sea is returned to the people!</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Gayton McKenzie</div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
ISSUED BY THE PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span mce_style="font-size:9pt" style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></div>
<div mce_style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0;orphans:auto;padding:0;text-align:start;text-indent:0;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.paparty.org.za/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">www.paparty.org.za</a></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-3580218525839847722014-01-08T15:41:00.002+02:002014-01-09T10:50:47.280+02:00On the withdrawal of Rashied Staggie from the Patriotic Alliance<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Mr Staggie informed the party earlier this week of his decision to formally withdraw his support from our party and from politics in general at this time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">We fully understand what he and his family are going through. It is a difficult time for them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">We have accepted his resignation as an ordinary member of the PA.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Mr Staggie is a good man and we wish him and his family all the best.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-68074794599291086522014-01-04T09:23:00.001+02:002014-01-04T14:52:48.271+02:00Tweede Nuwejaar carnivalPA secretary-general Kenny Kunene will be parading today with the Patriotic Alliance Boys in the Tweede Nuwejaar Carnival in Cape Town.<br />
<br />
The Patriotic Alliance has made a commitment to funding heritage institutions of local culture, such as the annual carnival. The PA puts the needs of local communities first.Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-35113835504421511282013-12-30T23:20:00.003+02:002013-12-30T23:21:45.899+02:00Kenny Kunene's Sunday Independent column<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
The column below appeared in the Sunday Independent of 29 December 2013, in a slightly altered <span style="background-color: transparent;">form, and with the opinion of a little-known member of the ANC accompanying it. (</span><a href="http://www.iol.co.za/news/new-party-a-vulgarisation-of-politics-1.1627163#.UsHg52QW1Zc" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.iol.co.za/news/new-party-a-vulgarisation-of-politics-1.1627163#.UsHg52QW1Zc</a><span style="background-color: transparent;">)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
For the original text written by Kenny Kunene, please feel free to reference the text below.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<b>A future more important than our pasts</b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ryfUawagesA/UsHjd4mU-EI/AAAAAAAAAZY/9vzGIskr1hU/s1600/kenny+at+launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ryfUawagesA/UsHjd4mU-EI/AAAAAAAAAZY/9vzGIskr1hU/s320/kenny+at+launch.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
When Gayton McKenzie and I became involved in creating the Patriotic Alliance, we obviously knew our pasts would be what all our opponents would use most strongly to try to attack us. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
We were prepared for the worst of it.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
But those same pasts are exactly what has put us on the tongues of all South Africans. All the same, we’re not counting on it keeping us there. Our present and future deeds will do that, and for all the right reasons. Just as everyone in this country knows that we were once criminals, those same people know that for more than 10 years we have not been criminals. We have actively opposed crime, particularly all forms of gangsterism and have poured our money, energy, personal networks and time into initiatives to reduce crime. South Africa’s future will be one in which gangsterism and crime disappears not because we think that would be very nice, but because we will create a country in which doing crime is not among the few options available to so many of our young people to survive.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
There is nothing worse than seeing your own life improve, while you leave your people behind you in the gutter. Sushi has long lost its flavour for me, when it is something the children from my old township might never be able to taste for themselves. To be clear, I am not ashamed of my success, my money or the flamboyant lifestyle I enjoyed over these last few years. It was my right to enjoy my success and there was nothing wrong with me or any of my friends having money. But there was definitely something wrong with all the millions in this country who had nothing and I just can’t look the other way any more. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
I can’t look the other way when presidents build castles for themselves on money meant for our people. When billions are “lost” each year, but should have uplifted the poor. When multibillion-rand deals are signed and simply go towards making a few rich men even richer. When the RDP house a mother once showed tears of gratitude for simply falls apart around her because it’s built so poorly. When gangsters kill each other for nothing more than a few corners from which to make our kids slaves to drugs — all while no one shows the political will to be accountable to those people who put them in power.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
I can’t look the other way, when deep down I know what needs to be done to fix this country. You may be surprised to hear such a statement, but I say it not in arrogance but rather with the weight of all the heavy responsibility that statement brings. It would have been easy for me to just shrug and say “this is far bigger than me”, but I would have been lying. Millions of poor people look to me and to Gayton. Together, we are far bigger than any one man or two friends. I must try to make this vision real through something I believe in: the Patriotic Alliance.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
It has been far too easy for our detractors to say we are nothing more than a gangster party. When Mzwandile Masina from the ANC Youth League says that he will write to the IEC to object to former prisoners going to Parliament, he is providing evidence that politicians in this country don’t read. After more than five years after your sentence, you can go to Parliament, although — for the record — neither Gayton nor I intend going to Parliament, though the PA will win a substantial number of parliamentary seats next year. Our place remains in the party, forming alliances with ever more groups, to make them understand our vision to turn South Africa around.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
So instead of focusing on the policies we are offering, our detractors focus on our past. They make out we are the first politicians to talk to gangsters. But at every election both the DA and the ANC have gone to speak to gang members to support their election campaigns. They know the gang leaders are trusted in communities more than politicians. Politicians have brought that on themselves and now want to blame the gangsters. They sneak to the gangsters’ houses at night. We go by day because we are all opposed to the culture of gangsterism. The PA doesn’t quietly, tacitly support gangsterim — as the other parties do. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
All the research into gangsterism shows that you only find gangsterism and vigilantism in communities where there is far too much violence — but no justice, no trust in the police, no trust in the government and no alternative forms of survival. In Khayelitsha you see necklacings. In Manenberg you see guns. The root cause of both is the same: complete and utter disinterest from the ruling DA to make a fundamental change in the way our people live.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
The PA will not be treating symptoms, because gangsterism and crime is a symptom. We will treat causes. Poverty is a cause. Injustice is a cause. Lack of political will to transform our society is a cause. These are what turn children into gangsters. No child is born a gangster and no child should become one. All the former gangsters who support the PA do so because they are tired of war. They want lasting peace. They want a future for their children.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Everyone said that once Rashied Staggie came out of jail there would be war. But he has done everything he promised us. He has stayed away from gang activities. He has focused on his family.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
No gang member is a leader of this party. But all South Africans are welcome to join this alliance, be they former criminals or future saints.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
When the PA consulted with the community, we spoke to everyone, from floor cleaners to politicians who once crossed floors in Parliament. At these meetings in the Western Cape and in other areas across South Africa, people came out in their numbers. No one in the PA nominate himself or herself as a leader. We were elected from the floor at our inaugural conference.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
There are far bigger issues in South Africa than the pasts of Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
If you think we are missing something in our vision for this country then join this alliance and help us to make service delivery second nature to government, help us to truly empower all South Africa’s people, give them quality education, a corruption-free state with strong capacity, quality healthcare for all, booming industries, a land reform programme that delivers results and a banking system that serves the people instead of exploiting them. Help us to lower crime by raising equality.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Our critics must always remember what Amilcar Cabral says: ““Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
This is what our Patriotic Alliance commits to give to our people: A guaranteed future for our children.</div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-88515983918967913352013-12-27T08:56:00.001+02:002013-12-27T08:56:03.427+02:00Statement on the revoking of parole for Rashied StaggieThe Patriotic Alliance is disappointed at the manner in which Rashied Staggie's parole revocation was handled, without any warning being given and with communication, overall, being far less than desirable. The impression created is that the department of corrections sought any excuse to revoke his parole. The party is currently reviewing the decision.<br />
However, Mr Staggie is not a leader in the PA and his interests in the party lay solely in the peacemaking efforts he promoted in gang-riven areas, which have become lastingly peaceful after an intractable gang war, particularly in Manenberg. It is unfortunate that Mr Staggie has not received any recognition for his ongoing commitment to rehabilitating himself and his community.<br />
The party will consider every legal avenue to ensure Mr Staggie, an ordinary member of the party among many thousands of other ordinary members, has his constitutional rights respected.<br />
The Patriotic Alliance has also lodged a complaint with the press ombud regarding a SAPA article on 24 December that stated that the party "consists of gangsters".<br />
This is a falsehood perpetuated by the party's opponents. This is a party of all the people, for all the people. The "gangster" assertion is a falsehood the party trusts the media will soon no longer fall prey to.Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-66882502345104416402013-12-19T13:49:00.002+02:002013-12-19T13:52:44.675+02:00Patriotic Alliance’s certification at IEC now made official<div class="p1">
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) herewith announces that its registration was certificated by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa on December 13 this month. Now that the official registration certificate has been issued, the party will be free to contest all future elections. This comes after the mandatory 30 days for citizens to register objections following initial registration elapsed. No significant objections were recorded. </div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We praise the sterling work of the IEC, which has once again shown itself to be a strong and independent electoral body, placing the democratic freedoms guaranteed in our constitution at the heart of its work.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">It is unfortunate that, during the period in which objections could be made, an opportunistic individual such as Mzwandile Masina of the ANC Youth League felt the need to threaten that he would write to the IEC to object to a party “formed by ex-convicts”. This merely illustrated Mr Masina’s ignorance of the very constitution his party once worked so hard to create. It also illustrates his ignorance of the broad range of people from across all sectors of society who have been brought together under the common banner of the PA.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We as the PA do not know if Mr Masina made such an objection, but of course the IEC would not have paid any attention to it. It would have been entirely without merit or basis.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The PA wishes all South Africans a blessed festive season. The gift it wishes to bring to the country is the firm promise of happier Christmases and better New Years to come.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>For more information on the party and all its policies, visit the official website, </i><b><i><a href="http://paparty.org.za/">paparty.org.za</a></i></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b><i></i></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>A brief background:</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is a nonracial, non-sexist and democratic political party organising support across South Africa. It is a champion of the people.The PA is an economically centrist party that understands that economic growth is dependent on free-market conditions, but that rampant capitalism encourages only greed and the exploitation of the poor. Therefore, the PA will always identify with the masses so that economic emancipation for the disadvantaged is realised.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The PA is also a party with a conscience and is a champion of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. It will therefore promote state welfare opportunities, including ways that do this in revolutionary and innovative ways, to ensure that hunger, exploitation and general socioeconomic suffering is defeated. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The PA supports the economic empowerment of the poor and will develop and promote policies and actions that lead to truly broad-based economic empowerment, with the understanding that those members of society who are part of the formerly disadvantaged categories of persons designated by apartheid policy stand to gain the most from such empowerment. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The PA’s focus is broad and it aims to support and uplift the poor, who would otherwise drift into hopelessness if not for the hope offered by the PA and its plans, which require strong democratic mass support to succeed. Every single citizen stands to be empowered by the brave and revolutionary empowerment policies that the PA has developed.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><b><i></i></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1">Too many structural inequalities still dominate the South African socioeconomic landscape and the PA’s policies aim at reforming this unacceptable state.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXo/A96j8e0pke0/s320/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">ISSUED BY THE PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</span></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-28752636212152966252013-12-19T00:12:00.000+02:002013-12-19T00:12:40.202+02:00Statement on the fight of the Cape Minstrels<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since 2011, the tension between the Cape minstrels and the City of Cape Town has been one of many reasons the Patriotic Alliance exists today.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The City’s arbitrary decision in 2011 to cancel what was then a very small amount of funding (R400 000) but which meant a great deal to Cape Town’s poorer communities, was a great blow to the people. They continued their parade through the city streets with joy, but simply having access to the city’s streets was understood to no longer be a guaranteed privilege for the Cape minstrels under this DA-led administration.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It remains under threat today.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The recent impasse between the city and the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association, particularly the failure to reach an agreement on how the funding of the minstrels’ annual carnival will take place, proves the low regard the city has for events like these. Carnivals such as these are tourist attractions and should be grown to be far more significant than they currently are. They capture the unique heritage of the Western Cape. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But the concerns of businesspeople (who do not wish to have any of their activities in the city disrupted on January 2, the traditional date of Tweede Nuwe Jaar) are given priority.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This bias of the DA towards protecting the interests of the wealthy, who do not identify with the heritage of the minstrels in the Western Cape, is plain to see in its disdainful and stingy attitude towards the minstrels.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Patriotic Alliance has already undertaken in its policies (available at <a href="http://paparty.org.za/">paparty.org.za</a>) that it will fund and develop important heritage institutions like the Minstrel’s Carnival (especially Tweede Nuwe Jaar).</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We call on the people to make their disappointment at the attitude of the governing party towards them known with their vote.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhexlQyhYiY/UrIdGyVCftI/AAAAAAAAAZI/AKf4dEvf46Q/s1600/carnival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhexlQyhYiY/UrIdGyVCftI/AAAAAAAAAZI/AKf4dEvf46Q/s1600/carnival.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-35270494676755301122013-12-13T12:20:00.000+02:002013-12-13T12:20:06.758+02:00Secretary-General Kenny Kunene's interview on eNCA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bgq55DBdo3s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Secretary-General Kenny Kunene does a live interview on December 5 to explain the party's position on Rashied Staggie's parole being revoked because of his links to the party.Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-1816606931201197272013-12-06T07:58:00.000+02:002013-12-06T08:14:24.735+02:00Statement on the passing of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Patriotic Alliance would like to convey our condolences to the Mandela family as well as to all the close friends he collected during his extraordinary life.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As South Africa’s newest political party, the PA honours Madiba’s memory as the man who did a great deal with his comrades to usher in democracy today. Without his sacrifices, parties like the PA would not have been possible. Truly, Madiba was the first patriot among patriots. His service to our country can never be fully appreciated, but his legacy can be honoured best by building a South Africa that shakes off the shackles of poverty. Only an equal and prosperous South Africa could repay the sacrifices of our heroes of patriotism.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mandela’s timeless vision of a South Africa for all its people, with a promise of a better world for all our children, is one the Patriotic Alliance is founded on. His work and life has inspired everything the PA stands for and wishes to achieve.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The PA will be observing a period of respect without political campaigning, while we and the nation come to terms with this profound loss.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We know the great love Madiba had for the works of Shakespeare. Thus we say, with great sorrow and love: May flights of angels sing him to his rest.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vD5TZcWs-c/UqFmhaa_7xI/AAAAAAAAAX0/_-ZtCAg0TmA/s1600/Nelson_Mandela,_2000_(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vD5TZcWs-c/UqFmhaa_7xI/AAAAAAAAAX0/_-ZtCAg0TmA/s1600/Nelson_Mandela,_2000_(5).jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-79354124570956898782013-12-05T12:19:00.000+02:002013-12-19T00:13:23.728+02:00Statement on the revoking of Parole for Rashied Staggie<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/6ZnT9lWvtDs/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KBqJOROw8s/UqBSW3px1_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/6ZnT9lWvtDs/s1600/Patriotic+Alliance+Logo-1+white.gif" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; text-align: center; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; text-align: center; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Patriotic Alliance is aware of the recent statements and actions of the department of correctional services regarding Rashied Staggie’s parole.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is alleged that Mr Staggie violated parole conditions. It is unclear what these violations may be. Whatever the allegations against him are, he was never given a warning before having his parole revoked, which is highly irregular.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The basis of the above appears to be the ludicrous but oft-repeated assertion that the Patriotic Alliance is a “party of gangsters” and that by being a known member of this party, Mr Staggie must be assumed to be socialising with gangsters.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The PA views this as a desperate attempt to undermine both the PA and Mr Staggie and intimidate him and other people against joining the party.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This party is of course not a gangster party by any measure, a position the party has consistently maintained. The department’s actions, if taken in relation to our party, are in fact then little more than defamation of our party, which is a registered legal person at the department of trade and industry and the IEC. The character and status of our party is clearly defined in legal documents, which make no mention of gangster membership, because such exclusive focus would be contrary to the broad vision of what the PA stands for. We do however welcome members from all avenues of South African society, but could never be defined by means of such narrow and prejudiced terms.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If the department is being used to settle political scores, that would be abuse of power.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mr Staggie is being used to undermine the PA’s challenge to power and the urgent social reforms that are needed in South Africa. The PA cannot allow Mr Staggie, who is no more than an ordinary member, to be used as a political pawn in a game of power that goes far beyond him. The PA will defend his rights, as it intends to defend the rights of all its members and ultimately all South Africa’s people.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is Mr Staggie’s right to join any political party, a right enshrined in the South African Constitution. The PA will thus be challenging this clear violation of his rights in court, a case that the PA trusts will once again show that no government or political force and its actions can be above the law.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The PA made the membership of Mr Staggie known in order to show that the party is serious about its vision of combating crime and gangsterism. The PA has facilitated an anti-gang-war peace process in the Western Cape and it stands by this work. Mr Staggie’s membership of the PA is in fact proof of his determination to steer clear of gang life and crime. He has been focusing on his work and family life and is done with a life of crime. The department’s harassment is a slap in the face to this man, who should be used as an example to other gangsters of how to embrace a life of peace. Instead, the department is destroying this golden opportunity to steer our people away from gangsterism and violence, by embracing the positive choices Mr Staggie is making. Instead, they condemn it.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 14.2px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">ISSUED BY PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; min-height: 14px; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Media contact (Lerato): 078 784 5185</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin-left: 70.8px; text-indent: -56.7px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Website: www.paparty.org.za</span></div>
Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956991947758775763.post-67194499609814119292013-11-30T12:20:00.000+02:002013-12-13T12:22:17.313+02:00Party announcement in the news<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoY8AsivUVk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
This insert ran on eNCA after the official announcement of the party.Patriotic Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282461341987655936noreply@blogger.com0