FF Plus believes compromises can be reached to minimise US executive order against SA
But, said FF Plus's Corne Mulder, the Government of National Unity needs to collectively decide on its foreign policy moving forward, and the ANC can’t impose its will on the coalition.
Freedom Front (FF) Plus leader Corné Mulder spoke to EWN at his office in Parliament, in Cape Town, on 27 February 2025. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/EWN
CAPE TOWN - Freedom Front Plus leader Corne Mulder believes compromises can be reached to minimise the impact of the United States’ executive action against South Africa, in light of its expropriation law.
But he said the Government of National Unity (GNU) needs to collectively decide on its foreign policy moving forward, and the African National Congress (ANC) can’t impose its will on the coalition.
He believes this is what’s at the heart of the Trump administration’s new stance on South Africa, and not the expropriation law.
Mulder has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to send envoys to the United States to explain the government’s policy positions.
But he said ordinary South Africans and the GNU should not have to bear the brunt of the fallout from laws drawn up by the former ANC administration.
“Just maybe the pressure applied on us by the US may get all of us to refocus perhaps and be prepared to find each other in terms of compromises and not with hardline positions, completely opposing.”
Mulder said the ANC also can’t claim exclusive competence to determine the country’s foreign policy, which he believes is anything but neutral.
“We are running across the highway and hoping we don’t get run over by a bus. Why do we want to do that? Let’s keep in our lane. Let’s put our own country first, and use all the opportunities.”
Mulder said lobby group AfriForum should be given the benefit of the doubt that their visits to Washington will spare the country from possible trade sanctions.