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FF Plus and BLF to battle it out in the Electoral Court

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The FF Plus’ bid to have the BLF barred from participating in the 2019 elections is expected to be heard in the Electoral Court, sitting in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, on Thursday.

Earlier this year, the FF Plus filed papers with the Electoral Court arguing that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) erred in registering Black First Land First (BLF) as a political party.

Their argument was premised on the fact that the BLF’s constitution stated that only black people could be members.

READ: FF Plus goes to court to have ‘blacks-only’ BLF deregistered for elections

“South Africa’s Constitution states in Section 1 that the South African state is based on four core values, of which non-racialism is one. This makes it clear that the IEC has made a big mistake. The FF Plus asks the court to rectify this error,” FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said.

“Nobody in South Africa, or even the world, is above the law,” said Groenewald, adding that South Africa had good laws, but that they weren’t properly implemented.

FF Plus terrified of BLF going to Parliament

In a statement posted on BLF’s website, the organisation said that the FF Plus was terrified of the BLF going to Parliament.

“BLF is an unapologetically BLACKS ONLY organisation and is prepared to defend the right of black people to fight for their liberation by any means necessary. BLF is more than ready to meet the racist FF Plus in court and to defeat it,” the statement read.

“Nothing will stop BLF from going to Parliament. The African National Congress of Cyril Ramaphosa and the Economic Freedom Fighters have sold black people out.”

“The two parties refused to use their two thirds majority to amend the Constitution to realise land expropriation without compensation. Plus knows that BLF shall never sell black people out.”

‘We’re just the opposite’

News24 previously reported that the FF Plus was questioned about its own inclusivity and commitment to the Constitution.

Groenewald said any South African citizen older than 16 years could join the party if they supported its founding principles.

Asked if the party did not share similarities with the BLF – a party for one group of people – Groenewald said: “We’re just the opposite.”

He said nowhere in the party’s constitution did it state that it was just for white people.

“We have councillors who are not white people, they are brown people.”

He said in the 2016 municipal elections the party had two black candidates. He conceded that the party did not support the Constitution at its adoption in 1996, because it “saw some flaws”.

FF Plus MP Corné Mulder pointed out that while the party did not support the adoption of the Constitution, it did not vote against it. Its members abstained.

[source:  News24]
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