After failing to fill up the 25 000 capacity Orlando Stadium, PA leader Gayton McKenzie has apologised and promised to host another spectacle in 90 days.
Scores of supporters were forced to scramble for water after spending hours waiting for McKenzie to address them for the party’s 10th year anniversary celebrations on Saturday.
In a statement, McKenzie yesterday apologised to his supporters for failing to fill the stadium.
The party’s celebrations were nothing to write home about after fewer than 5 000 PA supporters failed to fill up the 25 000 capacity stadium.
The event, which was meant to start at 1pm, only got under way after 5pm, with many of the supporters complaining of hunger and dehydration after spending hours waiting for McKenzie to address them.
“Do not be disheartened, patriots, let us prepare for the all important by-election on Wednesday. We shall do better next time. My greatest lesson I learnt in life is to fail fast,” McKenzie said.
Ahead of the celebrations, McKenzie addressed the media on Wednesday at Orlando Stadium on the state of readiness of the party’s celebration rally.
McKenzie, who promised that the event would be an anti-illegal-immigrant gathering, indicated that he, too, was disappointed over what happened on Saturday.
“I am sad for all of you and understand the anger and disappointment. We have had 20 000 people, according to JOC, that entered the stadium but due to food, drink and logistics, they left to get food and were prevented from returning back to the stadium,” he said.
As result, McKenzie said throngs of PA supporters were left stranded outside the stadium. He said buses broke down on their way to the stadium.
“People are stranded in buses on the road. People are sitting in buses on the highways waiting for mechanics. I am not blaming anyone. I am taking full responsibility. I have let most of you down terribly. I am not looking for sympathy, but you have word that we will fix this and make it right. Many lessons were learnt, we got more wrong that we got right,” he said.
McKenzie has promised to do better with a planned celebration to make up for the flop, set for 90 days’ time.
“The birthday of this glorious party cannot be what we did. We will have our real birthday party within 90 days. I have nothing but gratitude for those that stood and braced the hunger and heat. I have no words, I only have tears of gratitude,” he said.
The Star
