We’ll scrap BEE, vows FF+
● While the ANC prides itself on 30-yearold Tintswalo reaping the fruits of its rule, the Freedom Front Plus believes the governing party has done nothing but create “embittered individuals”.
Party leader Pieter Groenewald said this week that “embittered individuals” created by the ANC were white and coloured people who have been economically marginalised by the ANC’s transformation policies such as affirmative action and Broad-Based BEE.
Groenewald told the Sunday Times that it was for this reason that his party’s election manifesto, which he unveiled in Pretoria yesterday, was proposing to scrap B-BBEE, affirmative action and all race-based quotas in all labour laws.
“A new generation of embittered individuals is created among non-blacks, white and coloured people. People who would qualify for aid according to any means test and who demonstrate the potential to perform well are overlooked based on their race.
“We should do away with affirmative action and black BEE. People should not be judged on the colour of their skin, it must be merit based. After 30 years, you find poor people of all races. We should look for the talented people, no matter what race and if they are poor, then take steps to help them and create opportunities.’’
Groenewald claimed that affirmative action and B-BBEE were being used to deprive poor white people of higher education.
“This even happens to young people who want to go to university. There should be bursaries. It is actually discrimination against white people, our young white people have the talent and want to study but cannot get bursaries. To qualify they have to get higher scores while other groups have lower score requirements, which I think is derogative towards them. I don’t think black young students are poorer quality than white students they should have the same requirements for all of them.”
And if the FF Plus wins this year’s elections, it would sell all state-owned companies, without exception, to private companies.
Groenewald argues that the government should not be in the business of running companies but should be providing services instead.
“The moment you privatise big companies, they will have the know-how, principal understanding and survival to manage the entity and hire competent people, without relying on the government for bailouts. Private companies will ensure that they function at such a level that they can make profits and deliver quality services.”
The party’s manifesto calls for the decentralisation of power within government, and delegation to communities for self-determination.
“When communities take control of their future, they will ensure that they get the best services because service delivery is close to them when they are in charge. We will still have political representatives, but the people will govern themselves.
“The ANC put lots of towns in single municipalities, which places a lot of people away from the centre of the offices and services which results in poor access to services. If every town has its own municipality and governs itself, the communities will get better services.”
Groenewald’s party wants to scrap the Road Accident Fund, saying it is nothing but a platform to loot state coffers. He says it should be replaced with compulsory thirdparty insurance for all motorists.
“We want to replace the RAF with insurance. With corruption at play, it is not done correctly and is misused. If every motorist has accident insurance, we know corruption will end. We have to stay away from the government administering this as far as possible. You can have a private, regulatory institution performing this function.”