The State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Cyril Ramaphosa was supposed to illuminate South Africa's path forward, but for many in the Western Cape, it only underscored a disconnect from our regional realities and aspirations. Here, I argue why Cape Independence could serve our province far better, allowing us to craft policies that truly reflect our community's values and needs.
President Ramaphosa's speech lacked any performance metrics from the previous period. There were no scorecards to assess progress or regress, no measurable indicators for the forthcoming year. This absence of accountability is particularly stark against the backdrop of ongoing challenges like unemployment, crime, and infrastructure decay. In the Western Cape, where local governance is already under pressure, this national oversight feels like a regressive step.
The address also reaffirmed allegiance to policies like Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), expropriation without compensation, and an overwhelming state presence in sectors like education and health. These policies, steeped in outdated communist ideologies, have consistently fallen short of delivering sustainable growth or equitable development. Instead, they've fostered corruption, inefficiency, and dependency.
In contrast, our region can thrive when businesses are not stifled by bureaucracy, when education and health services are enhanced through both public oversight and private sector innovation, and when property rights are respected. The national policy direction not only hampers our potential but also contradicts our regional ethos.
Cape Independence presents an opportunity to tailor policies to our region's unique socio-economic landscape. Free from national constraints, we could cultivate an environment where entrepreneurship flourishes without the burden of policies like BEE, which often benefit a select elite rather than the wider community. We would advocate for genuine economic empowerment through education, skill development, and equitable opportunity, not racial quotas.
We envision a system where education and health are driven by a combination of public accountability and private sector innovation. This approach has shown promise globally in improving service outcomes, ensuring that services are both accessible and of high quality.
As an independent Western Cape, we could also adopt a foreign policy that aligns with our values of democracy, human rights, and economic freedom. Instead of adhering to past ideological alliances that no longer serve our interests, we could engage with global partners who share our vision for a prosperous, inclusive future. This would mean distancing ourselves from the failed communist ideals that have not only blocked South Africa's growth but also isolated us in global discourse.
The call for Cape Independence is not about exclusion or division but about the right to self-determination. It's about ensuring that governance mirrors the will, needs, and values of the people it serves. The current national policies fail to do this for us in the Western Cape. We've seen our region outperform others in various metrics, from economic growth to governance efficiency, yet we are increasingly held back by a national framework that seems tailored for another time or place.
In conclusion, President Ramaphosa's SONA has once again highlighted the gap between national policy and regional needs, between failure and success, and between despair and promise. As Western Cape residents, we deserve governance that is responsive to our specific context, respects our achievements, and is willing to innovate for our betterment. Cape Independence isn't merely about separation; it's about building a future where our policies, governance, and international relations reflect the values and aspirations of our people. This is the true path to prosperity, justice, and dignity for all in the Western Cape.
