British Government Asked to Support Democracy and Non-Racialism in Western Cape

PRESS RELEASE (SA Version) : CIAG petitions British Government on Cape Independence

‘The people of the Western Cape are entitled to functional democracy’. This was the message conveyed by the Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a letter which was hand delivered to 10 Downing Street in London on Friday 21st January 2022.

Just as it was with the end of apartheid, international support is likely to be critical to the success of Cape Independence. As many critics of independence have pointed out, whatever the democratic wishes of the Western Cape people, the ANC and its allies are likely to use the national parliament to frustrate the Western Cape’s ambitions. In such a scenario international politics (and law) are likely to be decisive in determining the success of Cape Independence. The Netherlands and the UK are the Western Cape’s top export markets.

The letter points out that despite the ANC having governed South Africa for all 27 years of the democratic era, the majority of Western Cape voters have never voted for them. Instead, they have been forced to watch helplessly on as the ANC destroys South Africa, unable to remove them from power.

Spokesperson Phil Craig says,

‍“Very few people are aware that in 1909, the Cape sent a multi-racial delegation to London to plead with the British Government to not impose a racial franchise on the soon to be formed South Africa. The Cape’s pleas fell on deaf ears and the foundations of apartheid were laid. In more recent times, the British Government has radically changed its position becoming a champion of democracy on the African continent. With racial socialism now destroying South Africa, we have come full circle. The Western Cape is back in London, pleading once again for non-racialism and democracy. We hope this time, the outcome will be different.”

In September 2021, the CIAG handed over a formal request to Western Cape Premier Alan Winde calling for a provincial referendum on Cape Independence, and a letter to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa informing him of the request and asking him to respect the outcome.

The CIAG has asked the British Government to speak up in support of the right of the Western Cape people to have functional democracy, which includes the right to democratically determine whether they wish to remain a part of South Africa, or whether they wish to negotiate their independence.

DATE:   22 January 2022

PRESS RELEASE (UK Version): British Government asked to support democracy and non-racialism in South Africa’s Western Cape. Cape Independence a possibility.

At 13h00(GMT), Friday 21 January 2022, the Cape Independence Advocacy Group(CIAG) will hand deliver a letter to 10 Downing Street, requesting that the British Government publicly support the right of the Western Cape people (South Africa)to non-racialism, and to democratically determine their own future.

The Rainbow Nation is coming apart at the seams. Internationally, nostalgic memories of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu may linger, but the reality on the ground is the tragic destruction of a country with almost boundless potential.

The African National Congress (ANC) has governed South Africa throughout the post 1994democratic era. An independent judicial enquiry (Zondo Commission) which took three and a half years to complete has confirmed that virtually throughout this entire period looting and corruption on an almost unimaginable scale was taking place. The ANC, right up to the level of State President, were at the very heart of it.

CIAG spokesperson Phil Craig, says, ‍

“Ordinary South Africans have borne the brunt not only of this corruption, but also the virtual collapse of government capacity as a consequence. Unemployment has reached 46,6%, the economy has stalled, the country has run out of electricity, the water supply is under threat, and both poverty and inequality are getting worse. Efforts to avoid political responsibility for their 27 years in power have led the ANC to ramp up the use of apartheid-era racial classifications whilst at election time they habitually threaten the poorly educated populace that were they to vote the ANC out, apartheid would return. Zimbabwe 2.0 is loading.”

South Africa s divided into nine provinces. One of them, the Western Cape which has Cape Town as its provincial capital and is culturally distinct from the rest of South Africa, has resisted the ANC throughout. The majority of voters there have never voted for the ANC, but regardless, they have never been governed by anyone else. The Western Cape subsidises South Africa and would not only be economically viable on its own but would actually be financially better off.

This has inevitably led to growing calls from the province for it to (re)gain its independence so that it can elect and remove its own government. In doing so, it can address unemployment, poverty, and inequality, where the ANC has proven it cannot.  

In 1910, the British Government incorporated the Cape Province into the Union of South Africa. The Cape sent a multi-racial delegation (Schreiner Delegation) to London to plead for a non-racial franchise, but the British Government refused. History is now repeating itself.

South Africa has a quasi-federal system of government. The provincial government of the Western Cape is willing to allow the province’s voters the right to democratically determine their own future by calling a referendum, which can include a question on Cape Independence. The ANC national government says the Western Cape is not entitled to ‘democratic wishes’.

Phil Craig concludes, ‍

“The CIAG trusts that the British Government will now right its previous wrong, and publicly stand up for the principles of democracy and non-racialism. The people of the Western Cape are entitled to no less.”

DATE:   20 January 2022

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