Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene says its expelled KwaZulu-Natal premier candidate and youth wing leader, Bonginkosi Khanyile, will not be given a chance to appeal his expulsion as what he did amounted to “treason”.
Khanyile, 33, was expelled by the PA on Wednesday after he attended a rally of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe party which was addressed by former president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday.
Khanyile’s expulsion was justified
Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast said Khanyile’s expulsion by the PA was justified.
“There’s no party that will allow dualism. You can’t belong to one party and on the other hand, are associated with another.
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“I don’t know any party that would allow this kind of behaviour. What message are you conveying because these two political parties have no alliance? It’s not like the SACP and the ANC,” Breakfast said.
The ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party have publicly come out to belittle the existence of the fledging party.
Khanyile apologised for the incident
PA deputy secretary-general Meshé Habana said Khanyile had apologised for the incident.
“However, the leadership of the PA has decided it is not acceptable for any leader of the PA to appear – without consultation with other PA leaders – at an event of a rival political party.”
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Kunene said the leadership of the party did not take time to make decisions as he and party president Gayton McKenzie were very decisive.
Treason
“A lot of political parties do too much democracy, the evidence is there. We, as the party, deem what he has done as treason,” Kunene said.
“He did not go there by himself. He took members of the PA who were wearing PA T-shirts with him – he even addressed the gathering. He is creating a link between PA and uMkhonto weSizwe and, naturally, people assume there’s a link between the two and the PA is endorsing this party.”
“His actions bring the party into serious disrepute. Why should we waste time when all the evidence is before us and he has also admitted? We noted the apology,” Kunene said.
“I have gone on a province-to-province campaign with this young man. We have given him jobs… he has betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him.”