The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) wants to further the interests of Afrikaners and other minorities with its participation in the Government of National Unity (GNU), and is not bound by other political party’s decisions or actions regarding continued participation or withdrawal from the GNU.
On Thursday, the Freedom Front Plus’s Executive Management Committee discussed the recent events surrounding the budget and its consequences for the GNU in depth.
The matter has now been referred to the party’s Federal Management Committee for further discussions. The party will not let the decisions or actions of another party affect its own decision-making.
The Freedom Front Plus did not join the GNU to gain some title or position. Its continued participation in the GNU is based solely on the question of whether it benefits Afrikaners and other minorities in South Africa or not.
Several political developments warranted an appropriate form of joint governance in South Africa. This reality was confirmed with the 2024 elections where no single party was given a majority mandate by voters.
After the 2024 elections, the ANC, still the single biggest political party, had the option of forming a simplistic coalition with one other political party to secure a governing majority.
The ANC, however, decided against it in favour of a wider, more representative form of governance, namely the GNU. The ANC should get credit for this. It was a noble thing to do.
The question, however, is whether the ANC’s gesture of reaching out was intended to establish a joint and accommodating new government to tackle South Africa’s challenges with fresh and better plans, or was it simply to co-opt the leadership of other political parties and then continue in the same vein as the past 31 years?
All the ANC’s actions since the establishment of the GNU after the 2024 elections indicate that we are dealing with an attempt at co-opting leadership rather than a fresh new beginning.
BELA, the Expropriation Act, the NHI, foreign policy, the court case against Israel, responses towards America as well as the recent handling of the Fiscal Framework and budget no doubt point to a mere perpetuation of trite and failed ANC ideological thinking and policy.
Nothing from their side demonstrates a commitment to being part of a constructive new beginning with the aim of resolving South Africa’s economic crisis of virtually no growth, enormous unemployment, decline and stagnation.
If the plan is to proceed with the GNU in this way, its chances of success are extremely slim.
In light of the recent foreign and domestic political changes, the need for an appropriate form of joint governance in South Africa is greater than ever, but then the current mindset needs a reset.
The way that fellow governing partners have been treated by the ANC so far is unacceptable. In addition, involving political parties outside of the GNU to steamroller the Fiscal Framework through demonstrates a clear lack of commitment to make the GNU work.
The GNU is not supposed to be the ANC continuing in the same vein with any random grouping of political parties controlled and dominated by it. That is nothing but co-opting.
The Freedom Front Plus wants to be part of a GNU whereby the country’s problems are effectively addressed, and the ideals and needs of Afrikaners and other minorities in South Africa are met.
That is the party’s commitment, but it warrants a thorough reconsideration of every party involved in the GNU.
This coming Tuesday, 8 April, the Freedom Front Plus Federal Management Committee will discuss the matter referred to it in more detail.
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