Corné Mulder criticises BEE laws amid Trump-Ramaphosa meeting controversy

Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Corné Mulder has come under scrutiny for his recent attacks on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws in Parliament.

Some speculate his actions are motivated by bitterness over not being invited to the White House meeting.

However, Mulder dismissed these claims, stating he would have declined the invitation even if offered.

Mulder’s suggestions to scrap BEE and Affirmative Action laws in Parliament on Tuesday have left President Cyril Ramaphosa offended.

Mulder's criticism of BEE laws is not new. As the leader of the FF Plus, a partner in South Africa's 10-party broad coalition government, he has long been a vocal opponent of policies aimed at promoting economic transformation and redress. 

In a recent parliamentary session, Mulder asked Ramaphosa whether he was prepared to develop an economic policy that would scrap BEE laws, employment equity, affirmative action, and the Expropriation Act.

Ramaphosa's response to Mulder's question was scathing. He expressed surprise that anyone would think BEE laws were holding back the economy, pointing out that the country's economic growth had been hindered by racist policies of the past. 

"Why can't black people be made to own the productive aspects of work? Why can't they be rich as well?" Ramaphosa asked, emphasising the need for broad-based economic participation.

Ramaphosa also highlighted the progress made since democracy, noting that black people are now featured in advertisements for everyday products, reflecting their growing importance as consumers and active economic players. 

"With democracy, what has now been happening and what we seek to see happening is the opening up of the economy; the broadening up of economic participation," Ramaphosa said.

Sources suggest Mulder was bitter after being snubbed from the meeting between Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump in Washington last week, where the bone of contention was a purported “white genocide” that allegedly took place in South Africa.

Mulder was not invited and instead, Ramaphosa took with him Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, billionaire businessman Johann Rupert, and golfers Ernie Els and Ratief Goosen, believed to be the representatives of Afrikaners in the meeting.  

Mulder has been vocal about his disapproval of the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting, describing it as a "catastrophe" inflicted on South Africans.

He believes the SA delegation had no answers to Trump's "right questions" due to wilful ignorance or outright denial.

"The international narrative now is that the president was ambushed. You cannot be ambushed if you have the facts on your side." 

Mulder said if he had attended the meeting, he would have said the opposite of what the SA delegation conveyed. 

"The truth of the matter is that I was not invited to that meeting… I would have declined if I had been invited. But if I had gone, I would have said the exact opposite to make sure that Trump understands the real problems that South Africa has," Mulder said.

Mulder also took a swipe at DA leader Steenhuisen, who was part of Ramaphosa's delegation. 

"If you are really getting out there to represent white Afrikaners, you have to speak and stand for the truth. You can't just go along and be used by the president to set up a certain narrative that everything is fine and there is no problem," Mulder said.

The DA has since defended Steenhuisen from criticism that he did not use the opportunity to speak out against claims of a white genocide in South Africa and instead campaigned for his political party.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za