Cape Town — Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture and the leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Gayton McKenzie, has urged the members of his party to not get too comfortable in their jobs.
McKenzie has made significant decisions during his short ministerial tenure. He announced that he was cancelling all trips for superfans and ruffled a few feathers when he released a list of all the artists and creatives who benefitted from the Covid-19 relief grant.
McKenzie took to Facebook and made a live video that lasted more than one and a half hours, as he discussed a range of topics including politics, employment and sports.
He sent a strong message to his PA counterparts, urging them to be aware that their positions are not guaranteed.
“If you’re a parliamentarian, MEC, chairperson of a portfolio committee, if you are deployed to parliament or in any political capacity, don’t get too comfortable; there’s no job security in what you have,” McKenzie said.
“In a year, we [can] have new parliamentarians, councillors and MECs. Don’t think that job is yours for life. That’s the best advice I want to give you,” he added.
McKenzie appointed two of the youngest MPs, Jasmine Petersen (22) and Cleo Wilskut (20), to represent the PA in parliament over the next five years. He encouraged the young girls to work hard to ensure they do not get replaced.
“This is not the position you will keep till death do you part. You have to perform exceptionally to remain in your position. You cannot be average. You must make yourself irreplaceable. I cannot remain the minister if I do not perform. I cannot stay as the minister for five years if I don’t perform; that would be witchcraft,” he said.
While still fulfilling his role as a minister, he is ready to groom the next generation of PA leaders. He said he wants to raise the next generation of leaders so that he can step down. He did not want to sit in his seat forever.
“In politics, you don’t need degrees; you need a genuine love for people. During the Nelson Mandela Day race, I took so many selfies with people, though I was tired. People pushed me around for pictures. I took pictures for an hour and a half after running 5km. That is the love I have for people.
“We must love each other. In other parties, you can’t even walk up to the president and take a picture. When I walk into a room, people scream at me because I treat people with love and respect and they can feel that.”
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
