By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
The Freedom Front Plus has become the latest party to join the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the ANC accepted Orania’s status.
The Afrikaner nationalist town in the Northern Cape was founded by Afrikaners and seeks to preserve the Afrikaans language and Afrikaner culture.
The FF Plus is in a coalition with the ANC in the Northern Cape but is not interested in co-governing with the ANC there.
Party leader Pieter Groenewald said the ANC has agreed to recognise Orania’s status.
“They did accept the status of Orania. Our expectation is for the policies of the Freedom Front to be incorporated into the final document and agreement when it comes to the GNU,” said Groenewald.
“We have specific proposals on how to build the economy.”
The ANC in the Northern Cape said it was still studying the FF Plus proposals and was not in coalition with the party.
Provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga said Premier Zamani Saul is due to announce his provincial executive on 25 June, which would not include the FF Plus.
However, the party will chair the portfolio committee on cooperative governance, human settlements, and traditional affairs in the legislature.
“As part of the engagement with the FF Plus, they submitted a concept document on the state and future of Orania,” said Ngxanga.
“We welcome these engagements and are quite impressed by the openness and honesty with which the FF Plus engaged with us on the matter.”
He said they had consulted the national leadership of the ANC on the status of Orania and would be guided by agreements between the national leaders.
In the GNU, the FF Plus is not expected to get any position in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government but would vote with the GNU partners in parliament.
Gayton McKenzie, the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, which is part of the GNU, said accepting Orania’s status undermined efforts to build a non-racial society.
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