FF Plus Ramaphosa hard labour

20190510 NETWERK 24 Pieter Groenewald, Leier van die VF Plus by die Nasionale Uitslag sentrum in Pretoria waar die 2019 verkiesing se resultate bekend gemaak gaan word – Phpto: Deaan Vivier

Cyril Ramaphosa receives unlikely endorsement – from FF Plus

Well, we didn’t see this one coming. Cyril Ramaphosa has been criticised over the last few days. But, of all groups, the FF Plus have leapt to his defence.

FF Plus Ramaphosa hard labour

20190510 NETWERK 24 Pieter Groenewald, Leier van die VF Plus by die Nasionale Uitslag sentrum in Pretoria waar die 2019 verkiesing se resultate bekend gemaak gaan word – Phpto: Deaan Vivier

South African politics can be truly unpredictable: Our Parliamentary debates are the greatest soap opera on TV, too. But when we get two political parties agreeing with each, it comes as a bit of a shock – that’s certainly the case here, as President Cyril Ramaphosa has found himself with the unlikely backing of the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus).

Ramaphosa’s surprise boost from the FF Plus

Rather inadvertently, the ANC leader has ended up with a ringing endorsement from the right-wing party, who ended up claiming 12 seats in Parliament this year to become the fifth-biggest political group in SA. It’s rare they see eye-to-eye, but Ramaphosa’s proposals to sentence prisoners to hard labour has ticked the FF Plus’ boxes.

While speaking about the callous murder of Precious Ramabulana, Cyril told the assembled media and crowds in Limpopo that his administration wanted to make prison ‘less enjoyable’ for inmates, and he punted the possibility of forcing prisoners to take part in hard labour – extended periods of physical work with little-to-no monetary reward:

“Government would work to change the justice system to ensure that people convicted of crimes against women and children remain behind bars for life and under the harshest conditions. They should not be in jail and enjoy life there, they should be subjected to hard labour – the harshest of labour.”

Cyril Ramaphosa

Criticism of Cyril Ramaphosa’s “hard labour” suggestions

Glynnis Breytenbach is the Shadow Minister of Justice, and she was enraged by the “unconstitutional idea”. She slammed Cyril Ramaphosa for reacting emotionally, but it seems the condemnation doesn’t spread all the way across the Parliamentary benches. The FF Plus leader, Pieter Groenewald, supports the hard labour suggestion.

“The FF Plus has always supported the notion of hard labour for prisoners, particularly those who have been found guilty of more serious crimes and the party, thus, agrees with the statements made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in this regard.”

“The FF Plus would like to see that all hardened criminals, not only those who are guilty of crimes against women and children, but also those who have committed other serious offences, like murder, rape and armed robbery, are not sent to prison to simply enjoy life there. They must do hard labour, like producing their own food, so that taxpayers do not have to cover the living expenses.”

FF Plus policies on crime

Groenewald said it was important that prisons were able to “instil fear” in their inmates, and said that a soft-touch prison system empowers criminals to re-offend. The FF Plus leader also claimed that current legislation “has to change”, and his party would support any law which would further punish those found guilty of serious criminal acts. But just how far would the party go in the pursuit of retribution?

Outraged by the spate of farm murders that came to the public’s attention in 2017, Pieter Groenewald previously suggested the FF Plus would implement the penalty for those who kill landowners and farmers. However, their 2019 manifesto was released in March – and it made no reference to this particular stance.