Marais throws in his lot with Freedom Front Plus
Former Cape Town mayor, advocate for ‘brown consciousness’ to run for premier again
FORMER mayor of Cape Town and provincial premier Peter Marais has made his latest political move by joining the right-wing Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), where he has been elected as its premier candidate.
Marais said common values, Christianity, the fight to keep Afrikaans alive and self determination were some of what he had in common with the FF Plus.
“You can’t pass a law forcing people to love each other, but the majority group takes away more and more from the minority group. We will fight a positive election and we will be the credible alternative.
“Accountability is key and the people we represent will have a say in their areas. We need self-determination to ensure that our language, our culture and our people are promoted,” he said.
Marais, who also participated in the tricameral parliament, became the mayor of Cape Town after the 2000 elections.
He was forced out by the DA after he proposed renaming Adderley and Wale streets after former presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk.
Marais resigned as premier following allegations of sexual harassment in 2002.
He has been a member of the NP, DA and Cope, and also served as an adviser at the Independent Civic Organisation of SA.
Asked about the prospects of coloured people voting for the FF Plus, Marais said: “I am depending on the votes of everyone who is out there that believes in our policies and is ready to fight for self-determination. Minority groups’ rights need to be secured and promoted.”
Keith Gottschalk, a political analyst at the University of the Western Cape, said of Marais.: “When one looks at the comments and views he expresses, it is quite clear that he has found the right party for himself.
“But I think his impact will be very minimal in this elections.
“Over the last years he has not improved the situation at the parties he has left, and that is never a good thing.”
Marais said he has the support of the Bruin Belange Beweging, a “brown consciousness” movement dedicated to addressing issues of coloured people.
“Over the last 10 years, since I resigned from politics in 2004, coloured as well as white people have frequently asked me to consider actively re-entering the political arena,” he said.
“It was a difficult decision to make, seeing as I wanted to focus all my time and attention on my family after more than 40 years in politics.
“After having to defend coloured people’s grievances in court time and time again over the course of the last six years simply because no one else was willing to do it, I decided to return to politics.”