Racial polarisation and social cohesion were among the issues discussed during talks between the Freedom Front Plus (FFPlus) and the African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday.

FFPlus leader Pieter Mulder said that the party had raised its concerns about the racially charged atmosphere in the country over the last two or three months.

This was fuelled by the death of Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging leader Eugene Terre'Blanche and the singing of a now-banned struggle song with the words "shoot the boer" by ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe's view was that it was easy to polarise the country the "moment you go tit for tat".

"We decided that anything can be solved by talking to each other," Mulder said.

Mantashe said that the FFPlus had also raised other issues pertaining to its "constituency".

Among the concerns raised by the FFPlus was the dwindling use of Afrikaans in universities and schools, name changes, safety and security, and affirmative action.

On the name changes, which the FFPlus often vehemently opposes, Mantashe said that there had to be a way to "allow the two histories to talk to each other".

"Therefore, we cannot just do name changes willy-nilly."

Mantashe said the right of the diverse languages in the country to exist was enshrined in the constitution and parties would engage on how to practically take this forward.

The safety and security of farmers, affirmative action and poverty and the issue of amnesty were also discussed.

The FFPlus also raised the question of self-determination, pointing out that this did not refer to a "volkstad".

Mantashe said that the ANC would take the process further by discussing the issues raised in its structures. A follow-up meeting would also be held.

"What is important is that we started talking to one another," Mantashe said.

"...In a country as diverse as ours, any problem can be solved if we engage."

While Mulder described the talks as constructive and positive, he and Mantashe said nothing concrete was agreed on.

The two parties, which are far from each other on the political spectrum, agreed to bridge the gap by taking the process of engagement forward.

They would gather for a follow-up meeting once the ANC had discussed the issues raised within its own structures.

"At the end of the day, we don't think it is helpful to have these things hanging all these years," Mantashe said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the briefing, ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said that legal action to overturn the ruling that declared the controversial "shoot the boer" song unlawful was "speeding ahead".

The matter was being dealt with by ANC lawyers.