Among the 14 by-elections held on Wednesday, the DA won a critical vote in Tshwane’s Ward 92 thanks to support from partners in the Metro’s ruling coalition, which did not field vote-splitting candidates. But there was also a sharp warning for the Constitutionalists as the MK Party gave the ANC in Rustenberg Ward 45 – hundreds of kilometres away from its perceived KZN heartland. Freedom Front Plus Cape Leader Dr Corné Mulder provides the insider’s perspective on the results and other recent developments in SA’s fascinating political landscape. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.
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Edited transcript of the interview ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Alec Hogg (00:01.703)
14 by-elections were held yesterday. Corné Mulder from the Freedom Front is here to help us understand those results. There’s a lot happening in politics now, and we love getting his insider’s view on what’s going on with all political parties, not just his own.
Alec Hogg (00:36.093)
Thanks for joining us, Corné. The results are fresh, and the most significant one seems to be in Tshwane, Ward 92, where the Democratic Alliance faced strong opposition but still won the ward, increasing their share from 34% in the 2021 election to 59% now. Why did the Freedom Front Plus and Action SA, who are supposedly going to cause trouble for the DA in Tshwane, not contest Ward 92?
Dr Corné Mulder (01:18.978)
Thank you for the opportunity. So soon after the national and provincial elections, parties are still evaluating results and repositioning themselves. We chose not to participate in that election because we’re committed to the coalition agreement in Tshwane. We didn’t want to risk losing a ward that’s part of our coalition grouping. We’ve done this before in the Western Cape, where we actively asked our supporters to vote for the coalition candidate. In this case, we didn’t want to divide the vote in Tshwane, allowing the DA to retain the ward with a larger majority and keep the coalition safe.
Alec Hogg (02:18.247)
So, what’s happening with the coalition in Tshwane? There’s a vote of no confidence in the mayor, Cilliers Brink. He’s done a good job so far. Can you explain what’s going on?
Dr Corné Mulder (02:33.294)
To understand, we need to look at the bigger picture. The results of the 29th of May 2024, which created this government of national unity, changed everything. We no longer have one dominating party. The question now is, will this government of unity be reflected at provincial and local levels? It already happened in KZN, but not yet in Gauteng. There are discussions between the DA and the ANC about forming a government of provincial unity in Gauteng. At the local level, we see a government of local unity in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, and it seems this could happen in the Gauteng metros too. In Johannesburg, there’s a kind of local unity government, and the same might happen in Tshwane. There’s a no-confidence motion against the mayor tomorrow, but I predict it won’t succeed. However, this doesn’t mean it won’t happen at the next meeting.
Alec Hogg (04:16.071)
It’s interesting because your allies in one area might be your opponents in another. It’s confusing for voters.
Dr Corné Mulder (04:28.59)
It’s confusing for us too. In 2021, we entered coalitions with parties that aligned with our broad principles. We had more in common than what divided us. That’s why we succeeded in signing coalition agreements with parties like the Freedom Front Plus, Democratic Alliance, Action SA, IFP, and ACDP. The question was always, how long will these coalitions last? We’ve learned from abroad that in places like Europe, coalitions commit for the full five-year term, regardless of changes. In South Africa, however, there’s no such stability, and coalitions often break apart, which impacts service delivery negatively.
Dr Corné Mulder (06:49.858)
Coalition agreements state they should last for five years, but that’s not always the case. Some parties claim they’re committed but then walk away when it suits them. For example, the DA in the Western Cape broke coalition agreements while wanting to uphold them in Tshwane. You can’t have it both ways. The ANC sees this and brought the no-confidence motion. Action SA has indicated they have serious issues with the coalition in Tshwane but aren’t necessarily supporting the motion. They want the coalition agreement upheld and will likely need discussions to resolve disputes.
Alec Hogg (08:16.157)
Such good insight. Thank you, Corné. It makes sense to stick with a coalition in a particular area to avoid splitting votes. For instance, in Tshwane Ward 92, had you and Action SA contested, the DA might not have won.
Dr Corné Mulder (08:47.338)
Exactly. That’s why I believe coalitions are currently in trouble in South Africa. There are structures like joint caucuses and oversight groups to resolve conflicts, but these aren’t working well, causing coalitions to fall apart. Initially, we had a technical committee that set up these coalitions. It no longer exists, which is why many coalitions are failing.
Alec Hogg (10:20.059)
Warren Buffett says integrity consists of honesty, trustworthiness, and reliability. It seems like reliability is lacking in politics right now.
Dr Corné Mulder (10:41.76)
That’s precisely the problem, and it’s harming the public and service delivery. After the 29th of May, everything changed. The ANC is now more willing to cooperate, seeing the failures at the local government level. Only 35 councils out of 257 received clean audits. There’s chaos at the local level. The ANC, weakened, wants to be part of coalitions. However, they can’t understand why the DA is willing to work with them nationally but not locally. If the conflict in Tshwane between Action SA and the DA isn’t resolved, the coalition might collapse, and we could see a government of local unity forming, similar to what’s happening in Oudtshoorn.
Dr Corné Mulder (12:54.862)
Some parties seem to want to exit coalitions to project themselves as independent for the 2026 elections, perhaps hoping to gain a strong majority and avoid coalitions altogether. However, I don’t think South Africa will return to one-party rule.
Alec Hogg (13:30.813)
I read an excellent piece by economist J.P. Lundman after the election. He said coalition politics has arrived, citing international examples where many countries with proportional representation systems work in coalitions. His forecast was that we’re not going back.
Dr Corné Mulder (14:45.166)
There was a time when South Africa had one-party governance at different levels, but that ended in 2021. Now, we see coalitions at national, provincial, and local levels. However, coalitions are now evolving into governments of unity, where all parties are included to avoid constant destabilization. Some parties embrace this; others resist, longing for the days of one-party rule. Regarding the Freedom Front Plus and the Democratic Alliance, there has been a meeting between leaders, agreeing on steps to stabilize current coalitions and potentially revive previous ones. However, I believe the answer to solving these issues lies in independent arbitration.
Alec Hogg (18:18.875)
How’s it going with Pieter Groenewald at the prisons department? It seemed like a challenging assignment.
Dr Corné Mulder (18:27.384)
It’s going well. He’s tackling the portfolio with vigour and commitment, and I believe he will succeed. However, I’m not sure it will necessarily benefit our supporters in terms of addressing their needs. It might set a good example of strong leadership, but it can’t deliver directly to our support base.
Alec Hogg (19:12.061): And overall, the government of national unity is gaining support. The international stock markets are slowly warming to the idea. The Rand has improved by two Rand against the US dollar, from about 19.5 to 17.5. South African bonds are slowly being accumulated. The longer this continues, the more confidence people will have in it. From your perspective, is it stable?
Dr Corné Mulder (19:43.586): Yes, I believe it is stable. People are getting down to business, and things are moving forward. I’ve always believed in collective wisdom. No individual or party has all the answers. In this government of national unity, we see inputs from various political parties, colleagues, and ministers from different departments. It’s constructive, and it sets an example. It shows colleagues that what was good enough in the past isn’t good enough now, and they need to step up. The public’s reaction to the election result was positive. They want cooperation, not conflict, and they don’t want one party to dominate. They want problematic parties like MK and the EFF out of government.
The president must demonstrate leadership, and his first test is with the Minister of Justice. The situation involving her must be resolved. He has handled it correctly by giving her an opportunity to explain the loan. Depending on the outcome, he must act and set an example. The international community and markets are optimistic and want to give this government a chance to succeed. However, everyone must embrace the concept of unity. We can’t have individuals undermining it for their own party’s gain.
Alec Hogg (21:48.669): To close, the parties involved in the government of national unity might have received a wake-up call with MK winning a by-election in Rustenburg against the ANC, coming from zero to 43%. Could this send a signal to the parties cooperating at the national level?
Dr Corné Mulder (22:18.766): It absolutely should. If it doesn’t, it should be taken seriously. There may have been a thought that MK’s success was temporary, but this result in Rustenburg, far from the traditional Jacob Zuma base in KZN, indicates issues within the ANC. Some in the ANC might believe they can regain the majority by 2029, but these results suggest otherwise. The ANC may have members who still support Zuma, and this will play out as we approach 2026. To succeed and get the country on the right path, we must strengthen the government of unity, at every level, and ensure good people cooperate to turn things around. If not, we risk ending up like Zimbabwe, and no one wants that.
Alec Hogg (23:31.985): Fascinating politics in South Africa. This young democracy is growing up, but it’s experiencing plenty of growing pains. Dr. Corné Mulder is the leader of the Freedom Front Plus in the Cape, and I’m Alec Hogg from BizNews.com.
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