GRANDI THEUNISSEN MAINTAINS HE WAS REMOVED FROM FF PLUS WITHOUT PROPER DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

Grandi Theunissen former FF Plus leader in Tshwane

Aggrieved former Freedom Front Plus leader in Tshwane Grandi Theunissen maintains that he was removed from his position without proper disciplinary process being followed by the party.

Though Theunissen was reluctant to reveal reasons for his removal as the party’s leader in Tshwane, media reports suggest that he was removed as FF Plus Tshwane Caucus leader because he and his caucus members voted in favour of a controversial property development project in Groenkloof that the FF Plus leadership had opposed vehemently from the onset.

The Tshwane FF Plus caucus eventually voted together with the ANC, EFF and ActionSA coalition in the City of Tshwane Municipality Council to approve a property development project to replace a popular bowling lawn with a shopping centre, offices and a 12-storey residential block.

The FF Plus leadership had fiercely opposed the said development project and had even launched public petitions against it; thus rendering Theunissen’s vote for the project a direct violation of the party’s official stance.

Now following a backlash from local Groenkloof residents and a public apology from the FF Plus leadership, an internal party investigation was conducted and resulted in Theunissen being stripped of his caucus leadership role.

Following his removal, Theunissen formally resigned from the FF Plus and joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) last week.

Be that as it may, Theunissen maintains his decision to quit the FF Plus for the DA is part and parcel of his agenda ” to build a stronger future for a better Tshwane.”

He said “leaving a party of which I have been a member since 1994 is a significant but difficult decision; something I can only compare to going through a painful divorce and I must point out that I have worked tirelessly to build the FF Plus.”

Theunissen said his core values have not changed and that he remains a professing Christian who is proud of his Afrikaner heritage, but that does not mean he disregards others because he believes in justice, fairness and mutual respect for everyone.

“My focus is entirely on the future; I want to help the DA in finishing the turnaround strategy that Cilliers Brink and I put in place way back then,” he said.

“Cilliers and I promised each other that we would not allow party political meneauvering to jeopardise our mutual aspirations and we are now working within the same party which is the DA for the people of Tshwane,” said Theunissen.