Mulder's time is up

I agree with those calling for Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder's expulsion from President Jacob Zuma's executive.

His insulting remarks last week, in which he claimed Africans have no claim to 40% of South Africa, make him highly unsuitable to serve in the government, especially as deputy minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The department of agriculture is central to the country's agrarian reforms, which are aimed at reversing the effects of centuries of colonial rule and apartheid.

As deputy minister, Mulder is not only expected to propagate the policies of the government he serves, but is also supposed to make sure that they succeed.

After what he said during the State of the Nation debate last week, he certainly can no longer be trusted to do so.

In fact, signs that he does not deserve to be in the government have been clear for a while, the rest of us just chose to ignore them.

Towards the end of last year, the Sunday Times reported that Mulder and Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson were at logger-heads over the former's blatant refusal to attend functions at which he was supposed to propagate government policies on land reform and agriculture.

When he did go, he often contradicted the policies of the government he serves.

Mulder never denied that they are fighting - he described his relationship with Joemat-Pettersson as "complicated".

He told the newspaper that, when he was appointed, he had made it clear to Zuma that he would not be endorsing policies that go against the Freedom Front Plus's beliefs.

Zuma should have withdrawn his invitation for him to join the government at that point. But the president had other considerations.

Zuma was well aware, as he assumed office, that he did not enjoy much confidence among minority groups - especially white citizens.

By roping in Mulder he hoped to send a message to these communities that his would be an "inclusive" government that would continue with the nation-building drive of the Nelson Mandela years.

But, as last year's local government elections demonstrated, these constituencies never bought into this.

The ANC lost the few votes it had in these communities and the FF Plus was punished, with many of its traditional voters backing the DA and independent candidates.

There is clearly no reason for Zuma to hold on to the man now. And by leaving the government Mulder may still be able to win back those voters with right-wing leanings who dumped his party last year because they felt that he had sold out to the black government.

It was this very constituency that Mulder was trying to impress when he made his offensive remarks.

As South Africa's non-racial democracy deepens, the right wing continues to shrink.

But there can be no denying that it remains an important constituency for career politicians like Mulder who want to secure a seat in the National Assembly.

Its slow death, however, has not made the right wing less confident of itself.

Over the years, in its various forms, the right wing has become emboldened - publicly making points it would not dare propagate just a decade ago.

Back then, the moral high ground belonged to centrist and centre-left political parties - especially those who led the liberation struggle against racial oppression.

But corruption scandals, political infighting and service delivery failures are slowly eroding this moral high ground. So much so that even rabid right-wingers are beginning to believe that the current system has become so discredited that hankering for the past would find sympathy with growing numbers of South Africans.

Of course it won't.

But the more those in power stumble from one crisis to the next, and allow the most racially polarising voices within their ranks to make the loudest noises, the more the likes of Mulder would find justification for spewing their destructive propaganda.

Strong political leadership from the centre is what this country requires.