On Monday, the Referendum Party, associated with the Cape Independence movement, executed a controversial stop-and-search blockade at the R62 border crossing between the Western and Eastern Capes.
‘Cape Independence’ caught on camera searching vehicles along WC border
The Referendum Party erected a makeshift border post displaying signs that branded the Western Cape as the “Cape of Good Hope” and the rest of South Africa as the “Failed State of South Africa.”
The display suggested a pending closure of the border, conditional on the party’s success in the elections.
During this staged event, vehicles were stopped and searched under the supervision of RP leader Phil Craig and his team. This act was widely viewed on social media, drawing ire from various quarters, including accusations of adopting apartheid-era tactics.
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The Western Cape government has yet to respond to these actions, which some claim violate legal standards and stoke racial tensions.
Public Diplomacy leader Clayson Monyela and PA leader Gayton McKenzie expressed their displeasure, hinting at possible political repercussions.
What is the Referendum Party’s manifesto?
Phil Craig described the Referendum Party’s manifesto as succinct yet transformative, promising a referendum on Cape Independence with as few as 100,000 votes.
The party, focusing solely on this issue, pledges not to displace the current DA governance in the Western Cape but to force a referendum that could potentially lead to the province’s secession from South Africa.
The manifesto argues that without independence, the Western Cape risks succumbing to the same socio-economic and political challenges facing the rest of the country.
It promises enhanced local control over the economy, policing, taxation, and border management as pathways to a stable and prosperous future, contrasting sharply with continued governance under the national ANC-led government.
