FF Plus rules out coalition with EFF, MK Party ahead of elections

Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Corné Mulder has ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition with parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party after the upcoming local government elections.

Mulder made the comments as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the elections, with coalition governments expected to remain a major feature of South Africa’s municipal landscape.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that the local government elections will take place on 4 November 2026. The elections will determine the composition of all 257 municipal councils across the country.

FF PLUS RULES OUT WORKING WITH EFF, MK PARTY

The FF Plus launched its manifesto for the upcoming elections in Pretoria on Saturday, 12 September, outlining its plans to improve service delivery and strengthen local government.

In an interview with the SABC, Mulder said while political parties may share common goals when it comes to municipal service delivery, they do not necessarily share the same principles.

“We may all agree on potholes, fixing the grid or having electricity or the water system. I think electorates also decide and understand that parties are supposed to stand for certain principles, they have certain values and you should vote in terms of those values and things that you can be happy with,” he said.

Mulder said the FF Plus did not share the same “values, ideals and principles” as the EFF, MK Party and PAC.

“The reality is specifically those parties that I have mentioned and there may be others, we do not share the same values, ideals and principles necessarily. We feel very strongly about certain things and interesting things in my perspective,” he said.

The FF Plus describes itself as a conservative party and has previously supported multi-party cooperation. The party is a member of the Government of National Unity (GNU), alongside parties including the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and ActionSA. The charter sought to establish common ground between parties ahead of coalition negotiations.

LGE 2026 | Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder has ruled out forming coalition partnerships with parties like the EFF, MK Party, and PAC after the 4 November elections, citing a lack of shared values and policy principles. pic.twitter.com/YG5HewymhG

— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 12, 2026

COALITIONS A KEY ELECTION ISSUE

Coalition politics are expected to be an important factor in the 2026 local government elections, particularly in municipalities where no single party secures an outright majority.

Going into the elections, 55 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities are governed through coalition arrangements. Several major metropolitan municipalities, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay, are also governed through coalitions.

The FF Plus has said stable coalitions are necessary where no party can govern alone, but Mulder’s comments indicate that the party’s willingness to cooperate will depend on shared political principles.

MULDER WEIGHS IN ON PARTY’S CONSERVATIVE VALUES

Mulder said the party had conducted a recent study which, according to him, showed that the majority of South Africans supported what he described as “traditional conservative” values.

He highlighted property rights and opposition to expropriation without compensation as examples of issues that he said were important to the party.

“All those kinds of economic values that make things worthwhile that you can get the economy growing. That’s exactly the opposite of what some of those parties believe in in terms of their values and principles and that creates a problem,” Mulder said.

The FF Plus has placed municipal reform and service delivery at the centre of its 2026 election campaign, saying it wants municipalities to focus on core functions such as water, electricity, sanitation, roads and refuse removal.