Latest news with #CornéMulder
Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
After withdrawing from National Dialogue, FF Plus leader Mulder suggests parallel event without ANC
CAPE TOWN - Freedom Front Plus leader, Corné Mulder, is suggesting a parallel National Dialogue that does not include the African National Congress (ANC). He said that as long as the ANC was uncompromising in its policy positions, it had no place in such a conversation. The party on Tuesday withdrew from the National Dialogue, accusing the ANC of being an obstructive roleplayer. ALSO READ: • AfriForum accuses Ramaphosa of capturing National Dialogue, turning it into ANC monologue • AfriForum, Solidarity join legacy foundations in boycotting national convention • Steenhuisen: Withdrawal of legacy foundations from National Dialogue proves DA assertion initiative poorly planned • Presidency compares upcoming National Dialogue to CODESA The dialogue will be preceded by a two-day national convention, which starts on Friday. The Freedom Front Plus' former leader and minister of correctional services, Pieter Groenewald, has been part of the inter-ministerial committee planning for the National Dialogue. But the party's new leader, Mulder, said the ANC was being an obstructive roleplayer and the FF Plus did not join the Government of National Unity (GNU) to bend to the ANC's will. "We are not in the GNU to be co-opted. We are not in the GNU to be used. We are not in the GNU to make it possible for the ANC to govern as if they still have a majority. That's not why we are there." Mulder suggested that the dialogue organisers go back to the drawing board and start the process afresh. "That process should be led by civil society and not by the government, not by the Presidency, not by the deputy president. It should be completely out of their hands." Mulder said the dialogue had presented the ANC with an opportunity to acknowledge that its policy directions were outdated.
News24
7 days ago
- Politics
- News24
FF Plus is the latest party to pull out of the National Convention
The FF Plus announced it won't participate in the National Convention starting Friday, meant to frame the upcoming National Dialogue. The party's leader, Corné Mulder, said the ANC has lost the credibility to be the dialogue's guardian or to participate in it due to its refusal to change its transformation policies. The FF Plus urged other GNU partners to collaborate on a dialogue without the ANC, focusing on practical solutions for South Africans. Another GNU partner is giving the National Dialogue the cold shoulder. The FF Plus announced on Tuesday that it would not attend the 'ANC's planned National Convention' scheduled to start on Friday. The National Convention is meant to lay the groundwork for the larger National Dialogue. Previously, after President Cyril Ramaphosa axed DA member Andrew Whitfield as a deputy minister, the DA withdrew from the whole National Dialogue, citing its cost, being a ' talk shop', and the ANC's election campaign. On Friday, legacy foundations including the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, which has long been advocating for a national dialogue, indicated that they would withdraw from the National Convention and preparatory task team. In a statement, FF Plus leader Corné Mulder said his party believes that a meaningful, thoughtful, and solution-driven dialogue is necessary in South Africa, and it would participate in such. READ | Task team assures legacy foundations' withdrawal won't impact National Convention 'Unfortunately, it has become crystal clear that the ANC - the biggest party in the government of national unity (GNU) - is not ready for a truly thoughtful, solution-driven dialogue,' said Mulder. He noted that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, on behalf of the ANC's national executive committee, confirmed that it has no intention of forsaking its 'failed economic and foreign policy'. 'These failed policies are forced upon South Africa, disadvantaging everyone, in the name of transformation,' he said. He said a party with this attitude can't be a credible guardian, through the Presidency, or participant in a national dialogue. According to Mulder, last year's election results show that South Africans have lost trust in the ANC and no longer want it to govern alone. Mulder said: 'This was an opportunity for the ANC to prove itself by engaging all stakeholders in South Africa in conversation. This was the opportunity for the ANC to show everybody in South Africa that it has learned from its mistakes and to acknowledge that its policies are obsolete.' He said perhaps the time has come for a truly national dialogue, without the ANC. He said the FF Plus invites all other parties in the government of national unity (GNU) to work together on practical solutions that put the interests of South Africans first. The FF Plus tasked its CEO, Pieter de Necker, to attend the national convention as an observer. Apart from GNU partners, the DA and now the FF Plus, breaking ranks, several opposition parties, notably the MKP and EFF, have also been highly critical of the National Dialogue. On Friday, after the foundations announced their withdrawal, ActionSA indicated that it would reconsider its participation in the National Convention. Briefing the media on Monday, chairperson of the National Convention planning committee, Boichoko Ditlhake, indicated that two political parties had declined an invitation to the convention this weekend. He did not mention the political parties, but it is now apparent that it is the DA and the FF Plus.
eNCA
02-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Trump says ANC must denounce 'kill the Boer'
JOHANNESBURG - The Afrikaner delegation that visited the US has revealed the outcomes of what it calls a comprehensive and successful mission. Dr Corné Mulder, Freedom Front Plus leader, and member of the government of national unity, convened the delegation.
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
'Nothing more than their ambitions': DIRCO slams Freedom Front US visit
Following a significant trip to Washington DC, Afrikaner politicians Dr Corné Mulder, Dr Theo de Jager, and Gerhard Papenfus discuss their meetings with US leaders and the challenges facing South Africa. The South African government has emphasised that it was not part of the delegation of Afrikaner politicians who visited Washington, DC, in the US. The group that went without being directed by the government arrived back in South Africa on Wednesday. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told IOL that the group was pursuing its "own agenda". "Our experience is that State actors do not use non-state actors as intermediaries; therefore, Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) visit and subsequent pronouncements will be viewed as nothing more than their ambitions," he said. The group includes VF Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder, the executive director of Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), Dr Theo de Jager, and the National Employers' Association of South Africa (NEASA) chief executive Gerhard Papenfus. Mulder claimed that they were selected and invited to the US by members of the Donald Trump administration. "We had a successful visit and were well received. We met with people responsible for Africa in the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and think tanks. It was a comprehensive visit," he said.
The South African
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
US lists FOUR demands of South Africa, including condemnation of 'Kill the Boer'
The United States government has outlined a set of preconditions that it wants met before fully normalising bilateral relations with South Africa. These demands were communicated to a visiting delegation of Afrikaner leaders during a high-level meeting with senior White House officials. The delegation, made up of Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder, Southern African Agri Initiative chairman Dr Theo de Jager, and National Employers' Association of South Africa CEO Gerhard Papenfus, met with representatives from the Office of the US Vice President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council. During the meeting, US officials emphasised that improving relations will depend on South Africa addressing four key issues : The US wants the South African government to officially classify farm attacks as a priority crime, on par with crimes like rhino poaching and cash-in-transit heists. They said that each incident should be handled by elite investigative units such as the Hawks, and warned that the current lack of urgency sends the wrong message about rural safety and human rights. American officials called for a clear, public condemnation by the ANC of the chant 'Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer,' which they described as inciting violence, regardless of whether it is expressed in song or speech. The US stressed the importance of promoting inclusive rhetoric to foster social cohesion. The US reaffirmed its stance that land expropriation must include fair market compensation and follow full legal processes. Officials noted concern about property rights and investor confidence, saying that land reform must be conducted in a transparent, lawful, and non-discriminatory manner. Another demand is that US companies be exempt from Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies that impose race-based requirements. According to the officials, BEE regulations function as non-tariff trade barriers and should not be imposed on American entities doing business in South Africa. Following the meeting, the Afrikaner delegation expressed their support for improved US-South Africa relations and committed to conveying the US administration's expectations to both the South African public and government. They said that these preconditions had been raised with South African authorities multiple times before but had not yet been adequately addressed. Context and implications This development comes at a sensitive time for South Africa's foreign relations, particularly in light of ongoing criticism regarding rural safety, land reform, and the country's affirmative action policies. The White House's strong messaging suggests that unless these concerns are resolved, bilateral cooperation – especially in trade, investment, and diplomatic areas – may remain strained. Analysts suggest this may also affect South Africa's standing in US-Africa trade programmes and its broader geopolitical positioning, particularly as the global focus shifts toward more rights-based and investor-friendly governance models. The South African government is expected to respond to these concerns in the coming weeks. Whether it engages with these demands could determine the future strength of US-South African ties – and how both countries navigate mutual economic and political interests going forward. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
