PRESS RELEASE: 31 August 2023
New poll shows 68% of WC voters now support a referendum on Cape Independence. CIAG to call for a referendum on election day 2024.
A new poll conducted by Victory Research on behalf of the Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) has found that a clear majority of Western Cape voters now support Cape Independence (58.4%), and more than two-thirds support a referendum (68.0%).
The poll was demographically representative, was conducted between 24July and 14 August, and has a margin for error of 5%. The sample size was 1080. For the first time, support for independence is now highest amongst ‘coloured’ voters (77.5%).
In collaboration with other organisations who support Cape Independence, the CIAG will now call for a referendum to be held on election day 2024 and invite the public to join this call. People who wish to register their support can sign a letter addressed to Premier Winde and President Ramaphosa online by visiting https://www.CapeReferendum.org
CIAG spokesperson Phil Craig says, “Support for Cape Independence has been steadily growing and now more than two-thirds of Western Cape voters want a referendum to be held. Before the 2021 elections DA leader John Steenhuisen personally promised the CIAG a referendum on Cape Independence and publicly told Western Cape voters that, whilst the DA opposed Cape Independence, it was ultimately a decision for voters to make for themselves in a referendum. The DA have since warned voters that doomsday is a likely outcome of the 2024 elections. It is clearly time for the DA to honour its 2021 election promises and to call a referendum on Cape Independence.”
DA Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is empowered by section 127(2)(f) of the Constitution to call a referendum. There is some legal debate about how this right should be enacted because the Referendums Act is outdated. The CIAG’s legal advisors believe Winde’s ability to enact a referendum can be ‘read into’ the Referendums Act. Even if the Premier disputes this interpretation, he can simply ask the President (who is specifically empowered by the Act) to enact his constitutional call so there is no legal reason why Premier Winde cannot calla referendum on Cape Independence.
Craig says, “A Cape Independence referendum on election day would be both pragmatic and principled. The IEC will already have established the election framework and to add an additional referendum question will be relatively simple and cost effective. Thereafter, allowing Western Cape voters the option to avoid any prospect of an ANC government or doomsday after 2024 by giving them a referendum which two-thirds of them want is the epitome of democracy. In such circumstances, were the provincial government which they elected to deny them their democratic voice, it would be an unforgiveable betrayal.”
A detailed copy of the polls key findings is attached, and they are also available online at: https://www.capeindependence.org/post/ciag-poll-aug-2023
