Dr. Pieter Mulder not available as FF Plus leader

12 November 2016

Dr. Pieter Mulder, leader of the FF Plus, announced today at the party’s reorganization congress in Kempton Park that he is stepping down as leader of the FF Plus. The party will have to appoint a new leader at the meeting.

Dr. Mulder became leader of the FF Plus 15 years ago after he was elected unopposed in 2001 with the departure of general Constand Viljoen. Since 2001 Dr. Mulder has been unanimously elected.

Dr. Mulder said he does not intend to participate in the 2019 election, and for that reason it is only fair to give a new leader the opportunity to establish himself or herself up to the election in 2019. The following reorganization-meeting of the FF Plus will only take place after 2019.

Dr. Mulder is willing to stay on for a transitional period as FF Plus MP. This year Dr. Mulder has been in the parliament for an uninterrupted 28 years after being elected for the first time in March 1988. This makes him the MP with the longest continuous service period in the current parliament.

According to Dr. Mulder the party is well established, without debt and with branches and structures in all provinces. The FF Plus also doubled its support in the 2016 local elections with councillors in all nine provinces.

The FF Plus came fifth from the 200 political parties that participated in the 2016 local elections. It provides a good platform from which a new leader can further lead the FF Plus on its way to 2019's election.

Dr. Mulder was a professor and head of department in Communication before he entered politics. (See CV).

Verkorte Curriculum Vitae

Dr Pieter W.A. Mulder

1,  Dr. Pieter Mulder het sy hoërskoolopleiding aan die Riebeeck Hoërskool Randfontein voltooi. Hy was onder andere hoofseun, het vir die eerste span rugby gespeel en was in atletiek Victor Ludorum.

2.  Na skool verrig hy sy militêre diensplig. Aan die einde van die jaar is die eresabel aan hom toegeken as die beste offisier van die jaar.

3.  Hy studeer aan die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir CHO waar hy op 26-jarige ouderdom sy Doktorsgraad in Kommunikasiekunde voltooi.

4.  As student was hy onder andere Voorsitter van die Studenteraad, het hy vir die Universiteit se O/20-rugbyspan gespeel en was hy Voorsitter van die Alabama-studentegeselskap.

5.  Gedurende 1981 studeer hy vir ʼn jaar aan die Universiteit van Wisconsin, Madison, in die Verenigde State van Amerika en voltooi sy Post-Doktorale studies in Internasionale Kommunikasie.

6.  Hy was vir veertien jaar dosent, professor in Kommunikasiekunde en departementshoof aan die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir CHO.

7.  In 1988 is hy as Parlementslid verkies en is vanjaar reeds 28 jaar lid van die Parlement. Hy was ʼn stigterslid van die Vryheidsfront in 1994 en is in 2001 as Leier van die Vryheidsfront Plus verkies.

8.  In 2008 verskyn sy boek, Kan Afrikaners toyi-toyi?, waarin hy ʼn humoristiese binneblik op gebeure en interpersoonlike verhoudings in die parlement en Suid-Afrikaanse politiek bied.

9.  Van 2009 tot 2014 was hy adjunkminister vir Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye.

10. In 2010 is hy tot die dagbestuur van die internasionale organisasie UNPO, wat na minderhede in die wêreld kyk, in Switserland verkies.

11. Hy het verskeie kere as kerkraadslid in sy kerk gedien en is deurlopend aktief betrokke in Afrikanerkultuurorganisasies.

12. Hy speel muurbal, lees graag en stel in sterrekunde en geskiedenis belang. 

13. Dr. Pieter Mulder is met mej. Triena Roestorf getroud. Triena het haar B.Sc. Honneurs in Wiskunde aan die PU vir CHO voltooi en het vir 20 jaar Wiskunde aan die hoërskool Gimnasium gegee. Hulle het vyf kinders.

Issued by the FF Plus, 12 November 2016