Freedom Front Plus
Vryheidsfront Plus (Afrikaans)
LeaderPieter Groenewald
ChairpersonAnton Alberts
SpokespersonPieter Swart
Chief whipCorné Mulder
CEOPieter de Necker
FounderConstand Viljoen
Founded1 March 1994 (1994-03-01)
(as Freedom Front)
Merger of
Split fromAfrikaner Volksfront
HeadquartersHighveld Office Park
Charles de Gaulle Crescent
Centurion
Gauteng
Youth wingFreedom Front Plus Youth
Ideology
Political positionFar-Right[5][6]
National affiliationMulti-Party Charter
International affiliationUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Colours  Green
  Dark orange
SloganDaar is hoop!
(There is hope!)
National Assembly seats
10 / 400
NCOP seats
3 / 90
Provincial Legislatures
11 / 430
City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
17 / 214
Cape Town City Council
4 / 231
Website
www.vfplus.org.za

The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus; Afrikaans: Vryheidsfront Plus, VF Plus) is a right-wing political party in South Africa that was formed (as the Freedom Front) in 1994. It is led by Pieter Groenewald.

Policies

Its current stated policy positions include abolishing affirmative action, replacing it with merit based appointments,[7] and being firmly against the proposed expropriation without compensation land reform movement to protect the rights and interests of minorities, especially Afrikaners[8] and Afrikaans-speaking Coloureds.[9] The party also supports greater self-determination for minorities throughout South Africa, and expressly has adopted Cape independence as an official party position.[10]

Foreign policy

The party is critical of what they regard as South Africa's contradictory foreign policy under the governing African National Congress (ANC).[11] The Freedom Front supports the strengthening of relations with countries that "promote self-determination within their own borders",[11] as well as countries with whom South Africa has strong existing trade ties.[11] The party has called on South Africa to criticize the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12][13] During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, the party expressed support for Israel.[14]

History

Origins as the Freedom Front (1994–2003)

The Freedom Front was founded on 1 March 1994 by members of the Afrikaner community under Constand Viljoen, after he had left the Afrikaner Volksfront amidst disagreements. Seeking to achieve his goals through electoral means, Viljoen registered the Freedom Front with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on 4 March 1994 to take part in the April 1994 general elections (This date has also been given as 7 March). On 12 March 1994 Viljoen handed in a list of candidates for the FF to the IEC, confirming that his party would take part in the elections.

In the election, under the leadership of Viljoen, the Freedom Front received 2.2% of the national vote (with 424,555 votes cast), earning nine seats in the National Assembly, and 3.3% (with 639,643 votes cast) of the combined vote to the nine provincial legislatures. This suggested that many Afrikaners had split their vote. The party performed the best in the rural areas of the former Transvaal and Orange Free State, and was noted by the new deputy president Thabo Mbeki as representing possibly as much as half the Afrikaner voting population in these areas, with the strongest support among farmers and the working class.[15]

Freedom Front support would gradually melt away in the coming years, as the party was strung along in ultimately fruitless negotiations with the African National Congress (ANC) to create a Volkstaat making the party lose its importance. It would also receive increased competition from new parties such as the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging. In the 1999 election their support dropped to 0.8% (127,217 votes cast) with three seats in the National Assembly and between 1 and 2% in their stronghold provinces. This represented a respectable portion of the Afrikaner vote, but nowhere near earlier levels. The party's support remained relatively stable in all national elections held during the next twenty years.

In 2001, Viljoen handed over the leadership of the Freedom Front to Pieter Mulder.

Formation of the FF+ and early years (2003–2016)

Freedom Front logo between 1994 and 2003

In 2003, shortly before the 2004 general election, the Conservative Party, the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging and the Freedom Front decided to contest the election as a single entity under the name Freedom Front Plus (FF+), led by Mulder. Later, also the Federal Alliance joined the VF+/FF+.

Under Mulder's leadership the party's support remained relatively stable.

In the 2004 general election, support for the Freedom Front Plus rose slightly to 0.89% (139,465 votes cast). The party won one seat in most of the provincial legislatures, and four seats in the National Assembly.

In the 2006 municipal elections, the Freedom Front Plus received 1% of the popular vote (252,253 votes cast).

In the 2009 general election, the party received 0.83% (146,796 votes cast) and retained its four seats in the National Assembly but lost its seats in the provincial legislatures of North West, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape. After the elections, the Freedom Front's leader Pieter Mulder was appointed as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries by the new President Jacob Zuma.

In the 2014 general election, the FF Plus increased its vote slightly to 0.9%. It retained its 4 MPs, and also regained a seat in the North West.[16]

The party also enjoyed consistent landslide victories in the Afrikaner enclave Orania.[17]

Along with other parties, the FF Plus entered into coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) after the 2016 municipal elections to govern Johannesburg, Tshwane and several other municipalities.

Groenewald leadership and resurgence (2016–present)

In 2016, Pieter Groenewald took over leadership of the FF Plus. He oversaw a pivot of the party away from being an exclusive abode for Afrikaners to that of one for all minorities, with a special focus on Afrikaans-speaking minorities.[18] This was highlighted when the FF Plus and the Bruin Bemagtiging Beweging (Brown Movement) – an interest group focused on Coloureds led by Peter Marais, the former premier of the Western Cape[19] – formed an official alliance.[20] This ultimately led to Marais being elected as the party's candidate for premier of the Western Cape for the 2019 elections.[21]

2019 national and provincial elections

FF Plus voter support increased substantially in the 2019 general election, with the party growing its vote total by 250,000, to 2.38% of the national vote, earning ten seats in the National Assembly. This was more than the nine seats that the old Freedom Front had received in 1994. Additionally, it gained eight seats in the provincial legislatures, for a total of eleven. In the 2014 general election, the FF Plus won seats in three provincial legislatures, in 2019, it won seats in eight out of the nine provincial legislatures. Its new supporters were largely Afrikaners and Coloured voters from the Western Cape who had previously supported the DA.[22][23]

Since the 2019 general election, the FF Plus has also won three wards from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in municipal by-elections in the North West Province and has continued to show growth in various other municipal by-elections in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.[24][25][26][27]

2021 municipal elections

In the run up to the 2021 local government elections, the FF Plus adopted Cape Independence as an official party position. They and CapeXit had a joint election campaign in the Western Cape to highlight the party's stance on Cape Independence. Over 60% of the FF Plus's ward councillors standing in the Western Cape were Coloureds, with Lennit Max being the party's candidate for mayor of Cape Town.[28] The party claims that their candidates are selected purely on merit in contrast to the DA.[29]

The FF Plus continued their gains in the Western Cape as a result, being in the kingmaker position in over 6 districts.[30]

Leaders

No. Image Name Term start Term end Notes
1Constand Viljoen1 March 199426 June 2001Chief of the South African Army (1976–1980)
Chief of the South African Defence Force (1980–1985)
2Pieter Mulder26 June 200112 November 2016Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2009–2014)
3Pieter Groenewald12 November 2016[31]IncumbentMember of the National Assembly of South Africa (2001–present)
Federal Chairperson of the Freedom Front Plus (2011–2016)

Electoral performance

Results of the 2019 South African general election by voting district. Those which the FF Plus won are in orange

These tables show the electoral performance for the Freedom Front Plus since the advent of democracy in 1994:

National elections

Results for the Freedom Front in the 1994 Election
Election Total votes Share of vote Seats +/- Government
1994 424,555 2.17%
9 / 400
 – in opposition
largest opposition party (1994–1996)
1999 127,217 0.80%
3 / 400
 Decrease 6 in opposition
2004 139,465 0.89%
4 / 400
 Increase 1 in opposition
2009 146,796 0.83%
4 / 400
 Steady ±0 in opposition
delivered one deputy minister
2014 165,715 0.90%
4 / 400
 Steady ±0 in opposition
2019 414,864 2.38%
10 / 400
 Increase 6 in opposition

Provincial elections

Election[32] Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng Kwazulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North-West Northern Cape Western Cape
 %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats  %Seats
1994 0.8%0/56 6.0%2/30 6.2%5/86 0.5%0/81 2.2%1/40 5.7%2/30 4.6%1/30 6.0%2/30 2.1%1/42
1999 0.3%0/63 2.1%1/30 1.3%1/73 0.2%0/80 0.7%0/49 1.7%1/30 1.4%1/33 1.7%1/30 0.4%0/42
2004 0.3%0/63 2.5%1/30 1.3%1/73 0.3%0/80 0.6%0/49 1.2%1/30 1.3%1/33 1.6%1/30 0.6%0/42
2009 0.2%0/63 2.0%1/30 1.6%1/73 0.8%0/80 0.6%0/49 0.9%0/30 1.8%0/33 1.2%0/30 0.4%0/42
2014 0.3%0/63 2.1%1/30 1.2%1/73 0.2%0/80 0.7%0/49 0.8%0/30 1.7%1/33 1.1%0/30 0.6%0/42
2019 0.6%1/63 4.0%1/30 3.6%3/73 0.3%0/80 1.4%1/49 2.4%1/30 4.3%2/33 2.7%1/30 1.6%1/42

Municipal elections

Election Ward + PR votes Share of vote
1995–96 230 845 2.7%
2000 Not released 0.1%
2006 185 960 0.9%
2011 120,519 0.5%
2016 229,281 0.8%
2021 549,349 2.34%

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lakaje, Mpho. "Running for FF Plus, Godfrey Skosana is challenging identity politics in SA". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "Selfbeskikking is 'n politieke opsie vir die Wes-Kaap". 9 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "ANC holds onto power in South Africa as other parties increase vote share". The Times of India. 11 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Pillay, Verashni (11 May 2019). "South Africa is the latest country to see a democratic swing to populism over liberal politics". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "South Africa's election: Five things we've learnt". BBC News. 11 May 2019.
  6. ↑ Magome, Mogomotsi (23 October 2019). "Leader of South Africa's leading opposition party resigns". Associated Press. Johannesburg. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "Elections 2021: 'Stop the decay' - FF Plus at manifesto launch". News24. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ↑ Setumo Stone (22 April 2014). "FF+ to target DA's Afrikaner voting base". Business Day. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Verwoerd, Melanie. "Melanie Verwoerd | Is the Freedom Front Plus making the laager bigger?". News24. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "Elections 2021: FF Plus 'supports the strive towards independence for the Cape' - manifesto". News24. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "National Elections Manifesto 2019". Freedom Front Plus. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  12. ↑ Groenewald, Dr Pieter (14 March 2022). "Everyone in South Africa will feel the economic impact of the war in Ukraine". Freedom Front Plus. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Amashabalala, Mawande (15 March 2022). "ANC government Russia's useful idiot, says FF+ leader Pieter Groenewald". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Hans, Bongani (15 October 2023). "SA leaders lock horns over who's to blame for Israeli-Palestinian conflict".
  15. ↑ "Unmandated reflections - Thabo Mbeki - NEWS & ANALYSIS - Politicsweb". www.politicsweb.co.za. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "2014 Elections: Seats in Parliament". sanews.gov.za. Pretoria. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  17. ↑ "Orania votes for FF Plus". IOL. 23 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010.
  18. ↑ "FF+ to focus on interests of minority | eNCA". www.enca.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "Brown Movement not a Political Party". News24. 2013.
  20. ↑ "Grant Marais of FF+ follows in his well-known father's political footsteps". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  21. ↑ "ANALYSIS: The who, why and what of the Freedom Front Plus". News24. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  22. ↑ Brandt, Kevin (10 May 2019). "Targeting minorities helped grow our support - FF Plus". EWN. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  23. ↑ Mailovich, Claudi (9 May 2019). "FF Plus defies expectations". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  24. ↑ Sussman, Wayne (11 July 2019). "FF+ makes loud statement in Stilfontein". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  25. ↑ Joubert, Jan-Jan (19 September 2018). "Recent municipal ward by-elections result in losses for the DA". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  26. ↑ "Mamusa by-election: Good news for EFF, but DA slide against FF+ continues". The Citizen. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  27. ↑ Head, Tom (16 January 2020). "Schweizer-Reneke: DA disaster, as they lose third ward in six months to FF Plus". The South African. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  28. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "FF Plus formally joins secessionist CapeXit in awareness campaign". News24. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  29. ↑ "I was a project for the DA, says Cape Town FF Plus mayor hopeful Lennit Max". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  30. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "While the ANC and DA are on the wane, the FF Plus and PA gain". News24. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  31. ↑ White, Ray. "Pieter Mulder steps down as Freedom Front Plus leader". Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  32. ↑ "Results Dashboard". www.elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
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