CIAG welcomes multi-party charter but believes it highly unlikely to unseat ANC
The Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) recognises the critical importance of unseating the ANC from national government and welcomes the multi-party charter which was signed yesterday. However, it cautions that mathematically the parties are unlikely to succeed, and the Western Cape should plan accordingly.
CIAG spokesperson Phil Craig says, “The coalition parties collectively got 27% of the vote in 2019 and 32% in 2021. The chances of them suddenly getting 50% in 2024 are very slim indeed and they are currently nowhere near this number in polling. They must try and we wish them well, but in the Western Cape where the majority of voters have never once voted ANC, we need to chart a very different course. Our priority must be ensuring that we are governed by the party we voted for and not the one we rejected.”
The CIAG welcomes the coalition’s commitment to the decentralisation of power to the lowest effective level. This is essential to the future success of all regions in South Africa.
Craig says, “The most realistic prospect for the multi-party coalition is to secure control of Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal, which with the Western Cape, will then be out of ANC hands. But these three provinces are very diverse indeed and cannot be governed through any one-size-fits-all approach. In the Western Cape, outright independence remains our best solution. No-one can decide what is best for the Western Cape people better than the Western Cape people themselves.”
With the future of South Africa more uncertain than ever, it is essential that the Western Cape people are directly consulted. This must include a referendum on Cape Independence.
DATE: 18 Aug 2023
