Reply of Dr. Pieter Mulder to the DA and Dr. Wilmot James' article attacking the Freedom Front Plus in Rapport (March 30 2014)

While the ANC and president Jacob Zuma are busy destroying the country, the DA, in the person of its federal chairperson, Dr. Wilmot James, was fighting with the FF Plus in Rapport Weekliks last week (see here).

Why are James and the DA fighting with the FF Plus and not with the ANC?

Because the DA is running into difficulties with its traditional white and brown supporters. James is realisingthat voters are considering the FF Plus as an alternative.

Helen Zille said in 2009: "Lend us your vote." The voters did that. Now they are experiencing severe disappointments because the DA has changed direction and has made these voters' interests subservient to the interests of the ANC voters whom they are courting.

Suddenly before the election the DA in Parliament supports new legislation about affirmative action, black economic empowerment and the re-opening of land claims. These new laws will affect brown and white voters very negatively. "This time we are voting for the FF Plus," they say.

The Zille-Mazibuko DA calculated that they would gain enough black votes to make up for the votes they would be losing on the brown and white side. The latest opinion polls show that it is not making the huge breakthrough with the black ANC votes and will therefore be getting far less votes than what the DA's target had been.

Why suddenly supporting this legislation? Because the DA supports the Constitution it also has to support affirmative action and land claims, is James' argument. The argument is ostrich politics.

Affirmative action has been used for 20 years to disadvantage white and brown and advantage black. It is in shrill contrast to section 9(1) of the Constitution which guarantees equality. How long must it still continue?

The same goes for the new land claims which the DA supports, according to James' article. For four yearsuntil 1998, people could submit land claims like the Constitution had asked for. Approximately 80 000 claims were submitted. It took 16 years to finalise 95% of these claims. Now that it is nearly finished, the ANC is re-opening land claims shortly before the election.

The FF Plus is at present the only party in parliament with a position opposing affirmative action and against the re-opening of land claims. If you are of the opinion that affirmative action should be scrapped after 20 years, then vote for the FF Plus. If you think land claims have been finalised and can be solved with state land and through other methods, then vote for the FF Plus.

If you think affirmative action and land claims should continue you vote for the ANC or the DA. This is how democracy works.

Afrikaners and the brown community are looking for a new political home. Afrikaans speakers are modern people. Afrikaans speakers will not allow themselves to become involved in 2014 in any solution which has not passed the test of equity, fairness, constitutionality and non-racism. But such a solution should also give recognition to the truths of South Africa .

What are these truths?

The truth is that we are a country with different languages and cultures, a country of minorities, but also with truths that over more than 360 years we have grown accustomed to being economically entwined and being dependent on each other.

We believe that in this great land there has to be a place for all of us in the sun. Recognise and accept this reality and we have found the golden formula for success.

At present there is a "tyranny" of the majority. Minorities have no say in the country - not even a say about issues that affect them directly.

The FF Plus has re-positioned itself to take these truths on board. It makes the FF Plus the natural home for Afrikaners. With this the party is also reaching out to other minority groups in South Africa who agree with this.

Our minority conference last year in Parliament set a common goal for minority groups to bring such a new dispensation about in South Africa . A dispensation where the whole truth is recognised and accepted.

Just like it has been proven elsewhere in the world, this approach is not in contrast with a constitutional or liberal democracy. Indeed, it is described as being the latest and most modern political trend.

Dr. Pieter Mulder is the leader of the FF Plus. This is a translation of an article that first appeared in Afrikaans in Rapport newspaper.

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