Gayton McKenzie promises residents 3-month break from paying municipal rates

With South Africans set to vote on 4 November in the local government elections, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) is promising to help residents’ pockets with a three-month break from municipal rates payments.

PA leader Gayton McKenzie said residents would be given the temporary payment holiday as the party steps up its campaign ahead of the elections.

He was speaking at the party’s manifesto launch at the Dr Rantlai Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, Free State.

McKenzie promises to improve residents lives

McKenzie said the party’s manifesto centres on improving residents’ lives, and even if it does not win municipalities, it will still fight to make people’s lives better.

“Even if we don’t win some municipalities, even if you have one councillor there, we shall show you what the Patriotic Alliance is capable of doing. We don’t need numbers to fight. We fight however we are, how many we are; we are still fighting for a better life for all our people,” he said.

He said the party will ensure that municipal by-laws deal with illegal immigrants who operate businesses in the areas it governs.

“Nobody comes to this country illegally to come and look at the border. They come because they know that once they are here in South Africa, they can open a shop. I came to tell you, every one of those failures is a municipal failure and every single one of them can be fixed.”

Temporary break for residents

McKenzie highlighted that many people use their pensions to pay for services and end up defaulting because of the high cost of living. He promised supporters a three-month break on municipal rates if the PA wins.

“Our people use their pensions to pay for water and lights. Our people are so far behind. Some of our old people earn R2 500, but they owe R80 000,” he said.

“I want to say there will be a three-month payment holiday where all our people will not pay rates for three months, so that they can catch up and have a breather. Our people need a breather. Our people have a choice between paying for rates or buying food. That’s why our people go hungry because they ought to pay for rates.”

He further promised that once the party is in power, it will write off municipal debt so everyone can start on a clean slate.

“If you owe R20 000, you owe R80 000; you will owe R0, and we will start by paying for our services. We’re going to wipe out all debt. We must all start at a clean slate.”

Paying neighbourhood watch groups

McKenzie also spoke about using the municipal budget to ensure that neighbourhood watch groups earn a salary because the police are unable to fight crime in some areas, leaving communities relying on these groups for safety.

According to McKenzie, one area where people depend on neighbourhood watch groups is Botshabelo in the Free State. He said his grandmother, who lives in the area, told him she had to call the neighbourhood watch group to deal with the people who had broken into her house because she knew the police would not help.

McKenzie also used his address to hit back at claims that the PA is a “coloured party”, citing that the PA is the only non-racial political party in the country.

“Every political party has a base. The ANC’s base is black African, the IFP’s base is black African, the Freedom Front’s base is white Afrikaner. The DA’s base is English-speaking white. But the patriotic Alliance is the most non-racial party,” he said.

“It’s in the numbers. We have registered 5 000 councillors to represent the Patriotic Alliance; 3 000 of them are African. Now, how can we be a coloured party if we have more black soldiers on the front line?”

Fifa World Cup spending

McKenzie also addressed the controversy around the money his department spent at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, saying he did not spend that money on himself but on people who have never travelled internationally. He added that South Africans will soon see why that much was spent.

“They said Gayton McKenzie has spent R31 million at the World Cup. Patriots, my whole bill for five weeks in Mexico, in America, and back to Mexico came to R1 million, but I’m another person; I have taken the lucky fans, people who have never had an opportunity.

“I would have created the opportunity. It is their money; they are also taxpayers. I have never spent R31 million on myself, and very soon you will see the return on that R31 million investment. You will see hundreds of millions have benefited from my spending R31 million for 80 people who went to the World Cup.”