Is the FF+ changing its spots?

Could the face of the FF+ be changing?

Well, some black and coloured supporters say the party is no longer just for white Afrikaners and see it as a tool that could change their lives if given a chance.

This is despite the party prioritising the interests of Afrikaners.

Wearing party regalia and waving an FF+ flag at the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) in Newton Park on Tuesday, Missionvale’s Ntombabantu Clauch poured cold water on naysayers, saying she wanted a new government in power.

“When I looked at the FF+, I saw the party is interested in making a change.

“There have been many parties and we’ve been actively supporting them and they’ve brought no change in my life and instead of seeing growth, things are getting worse and corruption is normalised.

“We decided to come and support abelungu [white people] because in the old days, when they were in charge, you would not see random people walking the streets at night, and corruption did not exist.

“We want to be ruled by white people again because at least then, we had jobs and unemployment was not this high.

“Even this SRD [social relief of distress] grant of R350 ... they can scrap it and create jobs so we can support our families,” Clauch said.

Clauch said the fear-mongering that apartheid would come back if there were a white government was false.

“People don’t know what they are talking about.

“These people have changed and if they try and oppress us, we will put another party in power and remove them from office.

“The FF+ isn’t a white party but an organisation for everyone,” she said.

In its manifesto, the FF+ states that it sees diversity as an asset for SA and it ought to be recognised and cherished at all levels of government.

“This includes respect for all communities’ languages, symbols, historical names and heritage.”

The party calls for establishing an Afrikaner council spread across the country.

“Such a council must have control of the relevant community’s education, heritage conservation and social care.

“Worldwide, these are considered the most basic ways in which national minorities can exercise self-determination.”

In practice, it would mean that the governing bodies of all schools, social institutions and heritage institutions could decide whether or not they wanted to fall under the authority of the government or the community council.

“This is not racial segregation.

“A traditional Afrikaner school may not be interested in falling under the administration of the Afrikaner Council, but a coloured school might.

“Everyone has the right to choose.”

“Such a council will enable Afrikaners to exercise their cultural rights regardless of where they reside,” the manifesto reads.

Despite this, in Nelson Mandela Bay, the FF+ has seen an increase in the number of people of colour opting to support the party.

This was evident during a public gathering at the church where party leader Pieter Groenewald addressed supporters.

They gathered on Tuesday, with many races but mostly black and coloured. 

While vastly different from an EFF rally where the song amagwijo would be sung, supporters only clapped between speakers.

Also in attendance was Pumla Ncapayi, from Missionvale, who recently joined the party.

Frustrated by her circumstances, Ncapayi said she had been working as a community health worker for 26 years and had never been permanently employed.

“All these years I’ve been working for [peanuts] for the department of health despite having qualifications.

“There’ve been many promises of being made permanent but they never materialised.

“Every year for over 20 years we’ve been signing contracts. I want change,” Ncapayi said.

Daria van Sencie, from Sanctor, said she had previously supported the DA but that the party and its councillor failed her.

In his speech, Groenewald said should the party come into power, it would scrap black economic empowerment and hire qualified people instead of cadres.

“We must move away from race if we want to rebuild SA.

“If I say move away from race, I don’t mean you should not know who and what you are. I am white, I can see that.

“I am an Afrikaner and I am not ashamed. If you are black, coloured or Indian, be proud of it.

“But treatment must be equal for all races. That is why we say no to BEE. No affirmative action.”

Groenewald said his party had decided to join the DA-led Multi-Party Charter because no single party could get a majority.

He said he believed that smaller parties could remove the ANC from power.

“There is no single party that will beat the ANC. No-one will get 50+1.

“We have a responsibility towards everyone to work together and if we work together and walk together then we as opposition parties, will get 50+1.

“As the FF+ we’re saying we’ll work together but won’t vote together on all issues because we have our different founding principles.”

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