Cape Independence is a decision for the Western Cape people to make for themselves in a referendum (which, unlike elections, are not party-political).
Referendums are the international norm, and polling has repeatedly shown that a majority of Western Cape voters support a referendum on Cape Independence being held.
Despite previous promises, it is now clear that the DA-led Western Cape Government is not going to call a referendum on Cape Independence under any circumstances.
The Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) is now actively investigating the possibility of holding a privately organised referendum of all 3,2 million Western Cape voters - the 'People's Referendum'. A similar referendum was successfully held in Italy in 2014. The CIAG will engage role players throughout society and would like your support.
Is it legal to hold a private referendum?
Yes, it is legal to hold a private referendum. We are only asking people their opinion on a specific question, just on a very large scale.
Will the results be legally binding?
No, the results will have political rather than legal significance. This is the same for both official and private referendums. The power of referendums is that in a democracy, once you know for a fact what the majority of people want, there has to be an extremely good justification to ignore their wishes.
What happened in Italy?
Veneto, the province of Italy which has Venice as its capital, held a private referendum on Venetian independence. A majority voted to secede. The government recognised the significance of the result and held their own official referendum with the same result.
What happens next?
The CIAG will engage civil society and actors from across the political spectrum to build support for the referendum. In the meantime, we have already begun planning the technical aspects of the referendum to ensure that it is ‘free and fair’ and to organise independent and credible observer missions.
How can I help?
You can help raise awareness of the referendum by sharing this page with your contacts, you can get involved in the campaign itself by joining one of the organisations that will be actively campaigning for a ‘leave vote’, and you can assist with raising funds for the referendum either by making a once off donation, a small monthly contribution, or joining the fundraising team.Please contact us directly using this email (info@capeindependence.org) if you would like to get involved.
