Mediamec The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) is seeking support in traditionally ANC-dominated townships ahead of the November 4 elections, fielding former ANC members as it works to broaden its appeal beyond white voters.
Siphiwe Mhlongo will contest in Mabopane, outside Pretoria, while Daniel Makgobola is standing in Soweto. Both previously belonged to the ANC.
The campaign comes as the FF+ rejects perceptions that it serves only white communities, while maintaining its opposition to black economic empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action.
Mhlongo said his decision to join the party was driven by the need to address residents’ problems rather than its popularity. His priorities include employment, stronger township economies, safer neighbourhoods and less reliance on government subsidies.
He said his community supported the move and expressed confidence that he could win the ward for the FF+.
The party’s stance on BEE and affirmative action had not deterred him, Mhlongo said. He argued that food security, unemployment and safety required urgent attention, alongside efforts to create an economy that included all racial groups.
While acknowledging South Africa’s history of economic inequality, he said past divisions should not prevent people from working together or contributing skills needed for growth.
Mhlongo pointed to farming and industrial experience as resources that could help strengthen the economy. He also argued that reconciliation and respect for the Constitution required the inclusion of white South Africans rather than their exclusion.
The FF+ maintains that race-based criteria for appointments, promotions and business ownership perpetuate racial classification. It argues that BEE and affirmative action unfairly limit opportunities for qualified people from minority communities, particularly white, coloured and Indian South Africans.
At a gathering at the Zone 13 sports ground on Friday, the party’s Emfuleni Local Municipality mayoral candidate, Cobus Cato, also challenged the view that the FF+ was exclusively for white voters.
Cato said race should not determine political allegiance and that anyone who shared the party’s principles was welcome.
