Corné Mulder says the Freedom Front Plus will not go into Governments of Local Unity that will bring the ANC back into power

Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) leader Corné Mulder said they will not enter Governments of Local Unity that would bring the ANC back into power.

He shared this information in response to Newsday’s questions about his comments on a DA-ANC coalition in Johannesburg.

In an interview with Alec Hogg on the Biznews podcast, Mulder threatened to withdraw from working with the DA should it go into a coalition with the ANC in Johannesburg.

Hogg asked Mulder, “If the DA does a deal with the ANC in Johannesburg, is that ‘count us out’, Freedom Front, in the whole country?” Mulder responded, “Yes”.

“The DA could sit down and come to an agreement with the ANC to give the two parties control in most of the metros,” he said.

“They can rule in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Mangaung, Buffalo City, and Nelson Mandela Bay.”

Mulder said that the Democratic Alliance has the option to form such a coalition, but that the Freedom Front Plus will not support it.

“We will not be part of that. The public indicated that they no longer want to see the ANC in government. That’s why the ANC is going down to 30%,” he said.

“If that is the model, the public must understand that someone is throwing a lifeline to the ANC. That will be the highest form of treason.”

When social media users questioned Mulder about these statements, he said, “Maybe I never said this, and it may be fake news, which it is.”

Newsday asked Mulder whether the VF Plus will make decisions affecting coalitions elsewhere in South Africa if the DA forms a coalition with the ANC in Johannesburg.

He preferred not to answer. Instead, he said, “The point is that the VF Plus will not go into Governments of Local Unity that will bring the ANC back into power”.

Corné Mulder clarifies what he said

Mulder told Newsday that they want to see the ANC out of government in as many councils as possible.

“Therefore, we are in favour of Gauteng coalitions consisting of the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, and the Freedom Front Plus,” he said.

He explained that there are other councils where ActionSA has no role at all. “Those are in the Western Cape where the DA and VF Plus will form coalitions,” he said.

“An alternative option is Governments of Local Unity (GLU). That would be a mirror of political parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU).”

Mulder explained that his response to Hogg’s question applied to the creation of Governments of Local Unity in South Africa.

“I stated that we will not be part of that. Count us out. This is because by creating those, you bring the ANC back into government, and the VF Plus prefers not to do that,” he said.

“There was no statement that the VF Plus will not form coalitions with the DA where we can keep the ANC out.”