Pieter Mulder
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
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|name = Pieter Mulder
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|image = File:SA Deputy Minister of Agriculture Pieter Mulder.jpg
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|caption = Mulder in 2013
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|office = South African Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
|term_start = 11 May 2009
|term_end = 25 May 2014
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|predecessor = Dirk du Toit
|successor = Bheki Cele
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|office2 = Leader of the Freedom Front Plus
|term_start2 = 26 June 2001
|term_end2 = 12 November 2016
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|predecessor2 = Constand Viljoen
|successor2 = Pieter Groenewald
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|office3 = South African Member of Parliament
|term_start3 = 1988
|term_end3 = 1 December 2017
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|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|07|26}}
|birth_place = Randfontein, Transvaal, South Africa
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|party = Freedom Front Plus
|otherparty = Conservative Party of South Africa
|spouse = Triena Mulder
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|relations = Connie Mulder (father), Corné Mulder (brother)
|children = 5
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Pieter Willem Adriaan Mulder (born 26 July 1951) is a South African politician and the former leader of the Freedom Front Plus. He served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Cabinet of President Jacob Zuma from 2009–14.{{Cite web |title=Pieter Willem Mulder, Dr |url=http://apps.gcis.gov.za/gcis/InternetIncludes/gcis_profile.jsp?id=1057 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140526011328/http://apps.gcis.gov.za/gcis/InternetIncludes/gcis_profile.jsp?id=1057 |archive-date=26 May 2014 |access-date=9 January 2018 |website=apps.gcis.gov.za}}
Biography
=Early life and politics=
Mulder was born in Randfontein and grew up in Randfontein and Cape Town. He completed his secondary education at Riebeeck High School in Randfontein, where he was head boy and Victor Ludorum in athletics. The son of former Cabinet minister Connie Mulder, Pieter first worked as a lecturer at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, before being promoted to head of the university's communications department. He represented the town of Potchefstroom in Parliament for nearly thirty years from 1988–2017, initially elected as an MP for the Conservative Party (KP).{{Cite web |title=Pieter Mulder |url=http://whoswho.co.za/pieter-mulder-3262/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329183601/http://whoswho.co.za/pieter-mulder-3262 |archive-date=29 March 2018 |access-date=9 January 2018 |website=Who's Who SA}}{{Cite web |last=Mulder |first=Pieter |date=20 March 2014 |title=Abridged CV's of the First 25 Candidates on the FF Plus' National Candidate List |url=https://www.vfplus.org.za/latest-news/abridged-cvs-of-the-first-25-candidates-on-the-ff-plus-national-candidate-list |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801200325/https://www.vfplus.org.za/latest-news/abridged-cvs-of-the-first-25-candidates-on-the-ff-plus-national-candidate-list |archive-date=1 August 2019 |access-date=1 August 2019 |website=Freedom Front Plus}}{{Cite news |date=2 June 2009 |title=Zuma's Cabinet A to Z: Part 1 |work=News24 |url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Zumas-Cabinet-A-to-Z-part-1-20090601 |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801200323/https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Zumas-Cabinet-A-to-Z-part-1-20090601 |archive-date=1 August 2019}}
=Freedom Front=
Prior to South Africa's first non-racial election in 1994, Mulder co-founded the Freedom Front with General Constand Viljoen, a former head of the South African Defence Force. At the election in 1994, the Freedom Front won nine seats in the National Assembly. This number was reduced to three at the 1999 general election. Viljoen, who acted as the leader since the party's founding, retired from politics in 2001 and Mulder succeeded him.{{Cite web |last=Gottschalk |first=Keith |last2=Kotze |first2=Dirk |date=May 12, 2019 |title=The Who, Why and What of South Africa's Minority Afrikaner Party |url=http://theconversation.com/the-who-why-and-what-of-south-africas-minority-afrikaner-party-116913 |access-date=2022-01-17 |website=The Conversation}}{{Cite news |last=Bendile |first=Dineo |date=17 November 2016 |title=FF+ Leader Embraces the Watchdog Role |work=Mail & Guardian |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2016-11-17-00-ff-leader-embraces-the-watchdog-role |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801200603/https://mg.co.za/article/2016-11-17-00-ff-leader-embraces-the-watchdog-role |archive-date=1 August 2019}}
=Deputy Minister and Leader of the Freedom Front Plus=
In 2004, under Mulder's leadership, the Freedom Front was renamed Freedom Front Plus after absorbing the smaller Conservative Party, the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging (Afrikaner Unity Movement), which lost its only seat in the National Assembly due to floor-crossing, and the Federal Alliance of Dr. Louis Luyt. At the 2004 general election, the new "Freedom Front Plus" managed to gain four seats in the National Assembly.{{Cite news |last=Head |first=Tom |date=9 May 2019 |title=Freedom Front Plus: Policies, History and Forecast Votes for the 2019 Elections |work=The South African |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/who-are-freedom-front-plus-policies-manifesto-elections/ |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801200613/https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/who-are-freedom-front-plus-policies-manifesto-elections/ |archive-date=1 August 2019}}{{Cite news |last=Pico |first=Dinonofo |date=26 April 2019 |title=Small Parties are Shrinking – Except for Freedom Front Plus |work=Mail & Guardian |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2019-04-26-00-small-parties-are-shrinking-except-for-freedom-front-plus |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504072408/https://mg.co.za/article/2019-04-26-00-small-parties-are-shrinking-except-for-freedom-front-plus |archive-date=4 May 2019}}
On 10 May 2009, President Jacob Zuma announced his appointment of Mulder as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.{{Cite news |date=10 May 2009 |title=New Cabinet - Full Appointments |work=News24 |url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Elections/News/0,,2-2478-2479_2514142,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=9 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512103024/http://www.news24.com/News24/Elections/News/0%2C%2C2-2478-2479_2514142%2C00.html |archive-date=12 May 2009}} Mulder served until May 2014, when he was replaced by former Police Commissioner Bheki Cele.
Mulder stepped down as leader of the Freedom Front Plus in late-2016, and was replaced by fellow MP Pieter Groenewald.{{Cite news |date=12 November 2016 |title=FF Plus Leader Mulder Steps Down |work=eNCA |url=http://www.enca.com/south-africa/ff-plus-leader-mulder-steps-down |access-date=10 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075907/http://www.enca.com/south-africa/ff-plus-leader-mulder-steps-down |archive-date=11 February 2017}} He remained a member of parliament until December 2017.{{Cite news |last=Presence |first=Chantall |date=30 November 2017 |title=Former FF Plus Leader Pieter Mulder Bids Farewell to Parliament |work=IOL |agency=African News Agency |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/former-ff-plus-leader-pieter-mulder-bids-farewell-to-parliament-12209837 |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801201047/https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/former-ff-plus-leader-pieter-mulder-bids-farewell-to-parliament-12209837 |archive-date=1 August 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Freedom Front Plus}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulder, Pieter}}
Category:People from Randfontein
Category:Freedom Front Plus politicians
Category:North-West University alumni
Category:Forestry in South Africa
Category:Conservative Party (South Africa) politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1994–1999
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019