Freedom Front Plus members embrace the Multi-Party Charter
Robbetze described the 2024 national elections as a ‘make or break’ moment for the country, urging members of the FF Plus to encourage every person in their respective constituency, to vote.
KwaZulu-Natal leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), Cois Robbetze, attended the Newcastle branch’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, August 24.
Robbetze used the platform to explain to members why he believes the coalition agreement between the FF Plus and other parties is in their best interest.
The FF Plus is one of seven parties that make up the Multi-Party Charter, which finalised their pre-election coalition deal last month.
The coalition, which also includes the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, ActionSA, Spectrum National Party, United Independent Movement, and Independent South African National Organisation (Isanco), intend to unseat the ANC in the 2024 national government elections and to keep the Economic Freedom Fighters out as well.
Robbetze described the 2024 national elections as a ‘make or break’ moment for the country, urging members of the FF Plus to encourage every person in their respective constituency, to vote.
“The two provinces in which coalitions can make the biggest impact are in KwaZulu-Natal and in Gauteng,” stated Robbetze. “Voter registration takes place in November. If you are not registered you cannot vote and each vote that is not cast goes directly to the ANC.”
He went on to clarify that the coalition parties agreed the leader of the party with the highest number of votes would not necessarily be the person who is nominated for the position of the President of the country.
Instead, the decision about which party has the best candidate for which job, will be merit based.
“The coalition partners will get together and choose who they feel is the best person for the job,” said Robbetze. “We cannot put people in positions when they can’t do the work.”
Robbetze’s daughter, Rochelle, who is the party’s deputy leader in KZN, accompanied him to the AGM and addressed FF Plus members on the importance of ensuring that women are afforded a voice in the political space.
“It is my passion, almost my obsession, actually, to give women a voice in the Freedom Front Plus,” said Rochelle. “I know times are hard and women don’t have a lot of time and energy to spend focussing on the municipality’s problems, but the Newcastle branch is strong with women and we should make it a point to include more women in politics ahead of the 2024 general elections.”
Rob Russel, who represents the FF Plus in the Newcastle council followed the Robbetzes with a brief account of his initiative to have firework banned in Newcastle. Thereafter, he briefed FF Plus members of the dismal state of the municipality’s finances before advising them that they should not contact the councillors directly with service delivery issues.
“If you aren’t having any luck with the municipality, then you can call me, but the first thing I will ask you for is the reference number the municipality gave you when you logged the complaint with them,” said Russel.
At the AGM, new committee members were elected with Pieter Wheeler being elected as the branch chairperson, Wilna Muller as the deputy chairperson, and Rob Russel as the secretary. However, in the days that followed the AGM, Russel resigned from his position as secretary and voiced his intention to start a second branch of the FF Plus in Newcastle, one which he will presumably chair himself. Seeing as the committee is no longer properly constituted, following Russel’s resignation from the committee, another election will be scheduled soon.
At the AGM, Wheeler called on all members of the FF Plus to work together and to support the party.
“The Freedom Front Plus does not comprise of the committee or its members. We are just the bus …And if we can’t convince the people to ride with us on this bus to the wonderful destination we envision, then the bus is going nowhere,” said Wheeler.
“I believe each of us has a choice. We can just forget Newcastle, or we can stand together and clean up our town,” Wheeler concluded.
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