Reply by FF Plus leader, Dr Pieter Mulder MP, to Jacob Zuma's state of the nation address, parliament, June 4 2009

Mister Speaker, Hon President.

Yesterday I listened to the second State of the Nation Address this year and to my 17th since 1994.

My overarching impression of President Zuma's Address was "Back to basics."

Government in the past often got stuck in complicated ideological debates -- debates where the existence of serious problems such as crime, Zimbabwe and HIV/Aids had been denied. This was not the case in yesterdays' address. President Zuma had identified most of the core problems of South Africa and made proposals as to how it could be addressed. This includes the present recession and issues such as our high crime rate, corruption, poor health services, discipline in education, poverty etc.

The FF Plus however foresees one big problem. Amongst these proposals of the government on the one hand and the populace on the other one finds the public service. They have to implement these plans at ground level to the advantage of South Africa.

I know many wonderful public servants who work very hard and go out of their way to deliver good services to the people. But I have encountered so many incompetent officials, officials who are political or cadre appointments, officials who are arrogant and do not go to any trouble to render a service to the public.

South Africa needs a professional non-political public service where competence and nothing else determines one's position and promotion. Such a public service is loyal to the government of the day regardless of which political party is in charge. The President yesterday repeated that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. The public service also in the same way belongs to all South Africans. Therefore - if there is no renewal in the public service, many of these proposals will only create expectations, but will not be implemented in practice.

The President concluded his speech by saying:  "To be a citizen is not only about rights, it is also about responsibility, to make a contribution to make ours a better country."

The FF Plus agrees with this. It is not only the government's job to make a contribution to a better South Africa . Every citizen, every non-government organisation, every political party has a duty to and responsibility.

Then where does an opposition political party such as the FF Plus fit in?

In a mature democracy there should also be room for opposition politics. I stand here with a mandate from the FF Plus voters. That mandate differs from the mandate of the ANC or the DA. It is a mandate to manage the interests of the FF Plus voters as best I can in this Assembly, it deals with self-determination, the protection of minorities, about the pressure which Afrikaners and Afrikaans is experiencing and with constructive opposition.

Why does the FF Plus believe that good opposition is necessary and that it is our contribution - "to make ours a better country" as the President said yesterday?

Because the true test of democracy does not lie in the existence of different democratic institutions alone, but in the functioning of these institutions.

The most important institutions would be the media, parliament, opposition parties and the state watchdogs like the Auditor-General and Public Accounts committees. 

In countries where there had been a move from a democratic to an autocratic state, the move took place gradually.  Government slowly scales down the role of the media and other democratic institutions. The result is that it becomes more difficult for the opposition and the media to gain access to the information it needs to fulfil its roles.

The next step of an autocratic government is to employ people who are "sympathetic" to the ruling party in all the "troublesome" positions.  

Positions like the Auditor General, the chairs of the Public Account committees and judges.  The annual reports of governmental departments become increasingly vague.  Questions in Parliament are not answered. Through these steps information regarding the government's activities becomes less and less available.  Without this information, the opposition cannot function effectively.

The last step, in losing democracy, would be the elimination of the opposition as the "unpatriotic enemy".

In South Africa we are far removed from this, but this does not mean that we can take democracy and freedom of speech as a given. As an opposition party the FF plus will help guard over this. It is important to remember that the longer any government rules, the less it tolerates being controlled.

That is why the FF Plus as opposition party did not hesitate to take the ANC government to the Constitutional Court about the right of South Africans living abroad to vote. That is why the FF Plus asked the Public Protector to investigate the wasting of money, following the decision to drop charges against President Zuma. If needed, we will again take such steps. I conveyed these principles in my talks with the President about my acceptance of a Deputy Minister's position.

Since the establishment of the FF Plus with General Viljoen as leader, the party's view has been that responsible opposition is needed but that it should not just voice destructive criticism.

South Africa is at present experiencing a recession which affects all of us. If the SA ship should sink economically, DA and FF Plus supporters will sink with it. That is why the FF Plus is also prepared to play a constructive role in the interest of all people in South Africa .

Section 83 (c) of the Constitution reads: "the president must promote the unity of the nation". How does a President do that in a country with 11 official languages, 8 main religions and 31 cultural groups?

If president Zuma then says in his inaugural speech at the Union Buildings: "We must forge a partnership for reconstruction, development and progress.

"In this partnership there is a place for all South Africans, black and white.

"It is a partnership founded on principles of mutual respect and the unfettered expression of different views. We do not seek conformity.

"We seek a vibrant, dynamic partnership that is enriched by democratic debate that values diverse views and accommodates dissent."

The FF Plus therefore says we are prepared to run the risk and as an opposition, on this basis, make a contribution in the interest of South Africa . On this basis the FF Plus's Federal Council, as the highest policy making body of the party, supports the FF Plus' acceptance of a Deputy Minister's position.

The reality will however indicate to which extent success will be possible or not. Let me give an example: In his speech the President refers to a common and inclusive approach with regards to name changes.

If in practice at ground level it is going to lead to a new long and protracted struggle from town to town where one group's heroes and names are replaced with another group's, then these are empty promises. It would then only lead to greater polarisation and alienation between groups in South Africa .

If the President's reference to a common and inclusive approach to name changes however means that we will have clear guidelines as soon as possible as to how it can be done with recognition being given to all groups, then the FF Plus welcomes it. Such guidelines would indicate how room should be given to everyone's heroes and histories with a cut-off date when this issue has to be concluded by.

South Africa is a beautiful country with beautiful people which could become a model to the rest of the world as to how different languages and groups can, in harmony, work out a future with a place in the son for everyone. But it is these different languages, groups and differences which make South Africa a very complicated country that as a result of wrong decisions, could explode into violence. It is our task as leaders represented here to navigate the SA ship safely through these dangerous waters. The FF Plus plans to play its role as a constructive opposition party in the way which I described above for the next five years in this Parliament.

Issued by the Freedom Front Plus, June 4 2009

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