PRETORIA, GAUTENG — Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Dr. Corné Mulder has affirmed that his party is poised to play a pivotal role in the coalition governments across South Africa, following a significant increase in electoral support amidst a national landscape of 138 hung councils.
Out of 213 contested municipalities across the country, 138 resulted in hung councils. Mulder emphasized that the FF Plus will be highly relevant in navigating these coalition arrangements, particularly in major metropolitan areas where the party holds significant leverage.
Despite electoral metrics showing the party’s support growing from 2% to approximately 2.9%, Mulder firmly rejected the characterization of the FF Plus as a small political entity. He noted that the party doubled its vote count from the previous election, securing a total of 819,000 votes. Furthermore, he highlighted that out of 500 registered parties, only seven have representation in all eight metropolitan municipalities and all nine provinces, with the FF Plus being one of those seven.
Addressing criticisms that the party focuses exclusively on minority rights at the expense of the majority and opposes transformation, Mulder countered that South Africa is inherently a “country of minorities.” He asserted that the party’s candidates and support base are represented nationwide, with councillors elected across the country, dispelling the notion of a strictly localized or exclusionary focus.
The FF Plus has also successfully captured electoral ground from the African National Congress (ANC). Mulder pointed to the party winning its first ward in a Black township in Marikana as a clear indicator of shifting political realities. He stated that South Africans are increasingly making distinctions at the ballot box and voting based on their values, which has directly contributed to the FF Plus taking wards from the ANC.
Looking ahead to the coalition negotiations, Mulder confirmed the FF Plus will be an active and necessary participant in several key metropolitan municipalities. He specifically named Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay, and eThekwini as areas where the party will play a direct role in forming and managing coalition governments.
