The Freedom Front Plus and Cape People’s Congress (CPC) have agreed on a cooperation strategy for the April 14 general election, the two parties announced on Tuesday.
In a joint statement by FF+ leader Dr Pieter Mulder and his CPC counterpart, Dennis Marinus — read out during a media briefing at Parliament — the two leaders said their aim is to prevent the African National Congress gaining a two-thirds majority in the election.
Both parties also agreed to try to keep the ANC/New National Party alliance out of the government in the Western Cape.
Common ground between the FF+ and CPC includes promoting Christian values, protecting and promoting Afrikaans as an indigenous language, reintroducing the death penalty for certain crimes, empowering their different communities, and ending affirmative action, which has a negative effect on both communities, especially the youth.
The two parties will campaign separately and with their own candidates, but the CPC will only contest the Western and Northern Cape provincial legislature elections.
Because it will not contest the election on a national level, the CPC is urging its supporters to support the FF+ at this level.
Replying to questions, Marinus said democracy has opened the door for parties to cooperate for the benefit of all South Africans.
The CPC held discussions with various parties to find common ground, and was happy with the FF+ agreement.
In particular, the two parties have agreed on the urgent need to be tough on crime — something the current government is not.
The racial oppression of the past is simply being replaced by the oppression of crime, and this cannot be allowed, Marinus said.
Mulder said the excellent system of proportional representation, in which every vote counts, caters for the representation of all minority groups and views.
It also allows parties to retain their distinct and individual identities while cooperating with other parties on issues of common interest, Mulder said.
The CPC, which participated in the 2000 local government elections, has its support base predominantly in the coloured communities of the Western and Northern Cape. This will be its first provincial-level election campaign. — Sapa