As political parties prepare for South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections, Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Dr Corné Mulder has drawn a clear line on possible coalition partners.
Mulder has ruled out working with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), MK Party and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) after the 4 November elections.
His position highlights the growing importance of political differences in coalition negotiations. While parties may agree on the need for better service delivery, functioning municipalities and improved local government, they can still differ sharply on the policies and values that should guide government.
For the FF Plus and EFF, those differences are particularly visible in their positions on land, property rights, economic policy and the role of the state.
Different political principles
The FF Plus supports private property rights, a free-market economy and individual rights. The party also supports greater powers for communities and provinces and opposes race-based policies such as affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment.
The EFF takes a different position on economic policy. It supports land expropriation without compensation and greater state ownership and control of strategic parts of the economy.
The EFF has also called for the nationalisation of mines, banks and other strategic sectors.
These differences put the two parties on opposite sides of several major policy questions.
Land and the economy
Land ownership is one of the clearest areas of disagreement.
The FF Plus places strong emphasis on protecting private property rights. The EFF, meanwhile, supports major changes to land ownership and has made land expropriation without compensation a central part of its economic programme.
The parties also have different views on the role of government in the economy.
The FF Plus favours greater economic freedom and private-sector participation. The EFF wants the state to play a much stronger role in strategic industries.
Coalition partners
Mulder has also ruled out coalition partnerships with the MK Party and PAC.
He says coalition agreements should not only be based on whether parties can work together on municipal issues.
For the FF Plus, political cooperation must also be based on sufficient common ground in terms of values and principles.
The issue could become important after the November elections, particularly in municipalities where no political party wins an outright majority.
Coalition negotiations could determine who governs several councils.
However, Mulder’s position makes it clear that the FF Plus is not prepared to enter a coalition with parties whose political principles are fundamentally different from its own.
By ECNewsLive
