STATEMENT:
Our recent ‘We’re just different’ Twitter post has attracted a lot of attention.
It is clear that many people have misinterpreted our true intentions. Some will have done so wilfully, but it is also clear that others who support our cause have also misunderstood us and given that the responsibility for communicating that message accurately was ours, we accept full responsibility for this misunderstanding and apologise profusely for any offence which this misunderstanding may have created.
As an organisation we have taken the decision not to delete the tweet. It is in the public domain and removing it will simply leave those with ulterior motives a further opportunity to misrepresent our true intentions.
Instead we wish to clarify the intended message of the tweet, so that we can be judged according to our true intentions and not those which others have wrongly assigned to us.
When it comes to ideology, the Western Cape fundamentally differs from South Africa. Election results since 1994 make this abundantly clear.
Whilst the Western Cape remains a part of the Republic of South Africa the Western Cape people will perpetually be denied their democratic will and this is the essence of Cape Independence. Let South Africa be governed according to the democratic will of the people who live there, and extend the same democratic right to the people of the Western Cape.
Intended Message
The Tweet was intended to be a visual representation of these ideological differences.
The Western Cape government, which was elected by a clear majority of Western Cape voters, is broadly aligned with western countries and advances western ideologies. The South African government is broadly aligned with the old communist bloc countries and has a strained relationship with the west. The opposing positions taken up by the national and Western Cape governments on the Ukraine crisis were an example of these differences.
That the Western Cape holds different political views to the rest of South Africa does not need explanation.
The Western Cape government formally supports non-racialism. Since 1994 Western Cape voters have elected coloured, black, white, male, female, Muslim and Christian premiers. It is also the most demographically diverse province. In contrast the rest of South Africa opposes non-racialism and tacitly endorses racial nationalism.
As an organisation our position on non-racialism, democracy, and inclusivity have been clear.
We believe that the Western Cape people as a whole, which includes people of all races, religions and cultures, have the right to democratically elect their own government and be governed according to their collective democratic will.
We want to build a non-racial, first-world country on Africa’s southern tip where ALL of its people can prosper.
Thank you.
