Central Karoo new Mayor Gayton McKenzie pledges to reject mayoral benefits

The leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) Gayton McKenzie has been elected, unopposed, as the new Executive Mayor of the Central Karoo District Municipality. The Patriotic Alliance is in coalition with the ANC and Karoo Democratic Force in the Central Karoo.

McKenzie turned from a life of crime to becoming a successful businessman and politician.  He gained a lot of support for his party during the November elections last year, making the PA a kingmaker in several municipalities.

McKenzie was voted into office unopposed on Monday.

During the council meeting Karoo Democratic Force president, Noel Constable, nominated McKenzie as Mayor – which he won uncontested. In his inaugural speech, he emphasised that politics and politicians should not interfere with the work of municipal officials.

“I want to make it very clear here today. I don’t care whether you’re from the ANC, from the DA, or from the KDF, I’m not a mayor for PA people here.  I am the mayor for each and everybody.  If you want to be an ANC worker, or a PA worker, or a DA worker, I say to you now, you must resign, and join politics because you are a politician.”

McKenzie was voted into office unopposed: 

I will donate 100% of my salary, I don’t want Mayorol cars, it should be sold and ambulances bought, I came with my own bodyguards paid by me, the police should go do police work. I will never claim a cent in petrol or flights. The taxpayer looked after me in jail, I am free now

— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) April 12, 2022

McKenzie says he will not accept a salary, nor make use of a mayoral car. He says the money will be used to fix the district’s dilapidated swimming pools and the car will be sold to buy a new ambulance. McKenzie promised that residents whose electricity has been disconnected will be reconnected to the grid.  But it will not be done for businesses or farms, whom he claims are responsible for the municipalities in the region becoming indebted to Eskom. He has also promised to start a graveyard clean-up programme and to eradicate bucket toilets in his first 100 days in office.

During his inaugural speech, he promised to start a campaign aimed at eradicating bucket toilets.

“There are still bucket toilets here. [An] 83-year-old must go outside in the cold in winter to a bucket toilet. It cannot be. Let all that nonsense stop today. Within 30 days we shall start eradicating all the bucket toilets … applause,” added McKenzie.

McKenzie says a feeding programme will also be launched for street children. He has expressed his support for fracking in the Karoo, saying, if done responsibly, it will be beneficial to the residents and the region’s economy. He has also made it clear that he wants the Central Karoo to be an illegal immigrant-free zone, saying he will be checking if places owned by foreign nationals were correctly zoned for business use.