WHAT TO CONSIDER FOR THE WESTERN CAPE AS 2024 LOOMS
The fundamental problem in South Africa, is that since 1910, for a century now, we’ve been living in a “one party state” akin to a form of dictatorship. First under colonialism, then under apartheid and currently under centrist communist inspired rule.
Over the past 28 years under ANC rule, the people of the Western Cape have never given the ANC the same degree of “absolute power” to “rule” the WC as in the rest of South Africa.
However, the fundamental error made in the Western Cape was that “absolute power” was given to a different party, namely, the Democratic Alliance.
The problem is not the DA, but the “absolute power” they wield in the WC.
The core problem, both nationally and provincially, is that unemployment and poverty continues to grow out of control, while affluent areas remain largely intact and the less affluent areas remain in miserable circumstance, as the plight of the people in these areas continues to be ignored, or pushed aside with empty promises, especially in the Western Cape.
At least 70+% of the people of Cape Town continue to live in substandard and extremely dangerous conditions, while illegal squatters flooding into the City are relocated to other areas, at great expense, and without consultation with the already overburdened residents of the receiving communities.
Such unilateral decision making can only happen when a political party wields absolute power.
The prospect of coalition governments is therefore both necessary and desirable on a national level, but also on a provincial level.
Simply put, the ANC/EFF in combination needs to be brought to under 50% by the voters in the national election.
The very same applies at provincial level in the WC, where the DA also needs to be brought under the 50% mark by the voters, especially where the danger of an ANC/EFF presence does not exist in the least, despite the fear mongering exercised by the DA on so many occasions.
Although understandably opposed by the ANC/EFF, and by the DA, for the massively growing call for the Western Cape to secede from SA, this very issue puts the DA leadership in direct opposition to the “Will of the people” it serves the Western Cape.
The shear number of DA councillor candidates throughout the WC that, on many occasions prior to the 2021 municipal elections, expressed their “off the record” support for independence is staggering.
Obviously they’re forced to toe the party line or lose their jobs, salaries and benefits. Understandable on a personal level of course, but detrimental for the people they serve.
The WC leadership should seriously take that to heart, as the cracks are deeper than they might think, and the pressure is growing for a provincial referendum to take place soon on the question; Independence Yes or No.
After all, polling one year ago, showed that already well over half of the electorate, that’s more than 1.5 million voters want the referendum and probably a lot more by now.
In addition, almost 900.000 citizens have already submitted signed mandates specifically stating that they will vote “yes” to independence in such referendum. A staggering amount to say the least, and the number continues to creep up week by week.
Further compounding the DA’s headache, is that, of the close to 900.000 mandates so far in favour of independence, approximately 480.000 are DA supporters.
In addition to that, the past core of DA voters, many of which moved to support the FF+, and to the CCC in the past municipal elections, both in favour of independence, was from the majority coloured community, of which some 540.000 have already submitted their pro independence mandates already.
Surprising to many “less informed” voters, is the massive growth in support for the FF+ by coloured voters. This surprise is mainly because of the perception that the FF+ is still an Afrikaner party, even though nothing can be further from the truth since almost a decade.
And yet the DA continues to ignore the people they’re supposed to serve, because “they can” as long as they continue to hold an absolute majority in the Western Cape instead of working with a productive and experienced coalition partner.
Credit where credit is due for the DA in terms of doing their best to stabilise municipalities and getting many of them back to providing basic services.
They’re doing a great job when compared to the ANC. Alas, in reality, that’s not really saying much.
After all, in no civilised country does a meeting on contingency planning due to load shedding make the news. It’s supposed to be “a given” and completely normal practice, as are fixing potholes and so on.
The best kept secret regarding political party leadership is, without doubt, the competence and integrity displayed by the leadership of the Freedom Front Plus in terms of its sensible, logical and hard hitting challenges in parliament keeping the ANC accountable as best it can, on behalf of all minority groups in SA, and without screeching loudly, grandstanding for political points, or bragging about their successes, while giving credit to others where credit is due.
For example, the initiative taken and foresight shown by Dr Corné Mulder leader of the FF+ (WC) and party chief whip in the National Assembly , by calling the leaders of the opposition parties together to drive and guide discussions on coalition agreements to run the metros and banish the ANC, deserves huge applause, yet most people think it was the DA who got this going.
This article is not intended to come across as bashing the DA or promoting the FF+, but hopefully it begins to break some myths and introduce some objectivity into the political discussion despite the noise leading up to the 2024 national and provincial elections.
For what it’s worth, at this point in time, and as a Kaapenaar in favour of an independent Western Cape, here’s what I feel voters should seriously consider…
NATIONAL ELECTIONS:
1- Vote
2- Vote for anybody other than ANC or EFF
3- As Rob Hersov pointed out in his recent presentation on BizNews with Alec Hogg, there’s no such thing as a wasted vote, even for smaller parties.
(1st Prize = Coalition government without ANC/EFF)
WC PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS:
1- Vote
2- If you’re in favour of WC independence, vote for any pro-independence party, ie. FF+, CCC or CIP
3- If you’re against WC independence, vote DA where things will continue as they are at best.
(1st Prize = Coalition government DA plus FF+ or more pro/independence parties)
IF YOU SUPPORT A REFERENDUM:
1- Register your support on capexit.org , the civic movement collating all pro independence referendum mandates. (Capexit is NOT a political party or in anyway linked to the Cape Independence Party)
One thing’s for sure, the only vote that is wasted, is one that’s not cast.
#absolutemajoritiesmustfall
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Andy Winsauer is a retired director of various leading international Companies based in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa, and was until recently director of the largest pro-independence civic movement in South Africa, Capexit npc. After many published articles and public interviews, he has decided to focus on independent analysis surrounding Western Cape Independence.
