Patriotic Alliance leader and Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie defended his party's stance of Mabahambe.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has defended his "Mabahambe" stance after facing backlash that he was quiet about President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to ease trade between South Africa and Nigeria.
McKenzie has been vocal about the mass deportation of undocumented foreigners, saying they were a burden to South Africa.
However, taking it to X, McKenzie said they would cry foul and want to cause chaos in the Government of National Unity (GNU) because a certain decision has been made.
"Abahambe is our mission as the Patriotic Alliance, we have and will never change, we have taken a decision to fight from within GNU, should we leave because a decision which we are not happy about is taken, we are not children," he said.
"The GNU has been greatly influenced by the always. We have moved the needle, maybe not as fast as you or us might have liked but moving the needle we did. We are realistic and will continue to fight from within," McKenzie said.
"We love the GNU as the PA, we have made great strides as a party. We can’t distance ourselves from decisions that we disagree with, we are a team. We are not arrogant or snakes. We keep on fighting from within."
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa announced the ease of trade after his meeting with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.
There has been a lot of criticism over his declaration that eligible Nigerian businesses will be given a five-year multiple-entry visa in order to promote trade.
"Our Government continues with its efforts to improve the ease of doing business in South Africa. We want to enable investors to operate, trade and pursue opportunities in various sectors. We look forward to seeing more Nigerian companies investing in South Africa," Ramaphosa said.
"Our efforts to create a favourable environment include our simplified visa process for Nigerian business people to travel to South Africa," he said.
"Qualifying Nigerian businesspeople can be granted a five-year multiple entry visa. In addition, tourists from Nigeria are now able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport."
Meanwhile, the Presidency has cleared up the misconception about Nigerian residents' ability to apply for a visa to South Africa without a passport.
It has been made clear that in its place, applicants must provide a certified copy of their passport.
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