Cape independence

[8] Mainstream political figures including John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, have indicated support for devolution proposals that would give the Western Cape more autonomy.

[9] Critics of devolution proposals, including African National Congress (ANC) leaders, argue that they amount to covert support for Cape independence.

This was displayed alongside two other images with the imagery of the USSR and ANC over South Africa, with only the Western Cape showing the Ukrainian and Democratic Alliance colours under the heading "We're Just Different".

[15][16] Critics argue that a constitutional amendment would be required, as Section 235 of the South African Constitution, while formally and officially establishing "the right of self-determination of any community sharing a common cultural and language heritage", does not place a legal obligation for the National Assembly to respect this right to self determination; and hence, that a referendum would be non-binding; nor does it provide a framework for a territory of the Republic to secede.

[17][18] Furthermore, critics argue that advocating is tantamount to sedition[19] – however, former National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mthunzi Mhlaga has stated that secession is a political matter.

[20] It is claimed by other opponents of the Cape independence movement that even if a successful referendum were to be held, the national government would never recognise the outcome and would commission the military to control the region, thus leading to a possible civil war.

[28] The former Cape Colony was unique in that the franchise to vote was not determined by skin colour, but on residential, economical and educational requirements, in stark contrast to the other states in the region.

[29] During the negotiations for the creation of the Union, the Cape's last Prime Minister, John X. Merriman, fought unsuccessfully to have this multi-racial franchise system extended to the rest of South Africa.

However, the act also permitted the Parliament of South Africa to prescribe all other voting qualifications and it could override the Cape's franchise with a two-thirds majority.

Throughout the following years, the ANC never managed to attain an outright majority in the Western Cape, only forming a provincial government once from 2004 to 2009 during a period of strong economic growth.

[44][45] As economic growth stagnated alongside a rise in political scandals, such as the Arms Deal & HIV denialism, the Western Cape voted for the Democratic Alliance in 2009 who have been in office ever since.

[56] With the persistence of the pandemic alongside large scale social unrest, where over 300 people died in the east and the north of the country in 2021, the movement continued to grow on this trajectory.

A single-issue political party that seeks to keep a DA-led Western Cape government but force the issue of a referendum as its coalition condition.

CapeXit, an NGO gathering signed mandates in support of independence has garnered over 820,000 signatures of registered Western Cape voters.

In an August 2023 poll conducted by the CIAG, only 31% of Black respondents agreed that "I believe that South Africa belongs to everyone who lives here regardless of their race", compared with 80% of Coloureds and 88% of Whites.

[14] Likewise, proponents argue that race-based laws, such as Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)—which is a policy aimed at addressing the inequalities created by apartheid implemented by the national government—unfairly discriminate against most inhabitants of the Western Cape.

[83][84] Proponents of Cape independence have cited the riots in the east and the north of the country in July 2021 as evidence of social instability in South Africa.

[58] People of the Western Cape believe that their home province is better governed than the rest of the country – a sympathy shared with a number of other South Africans more broadly.

[85] However, given that the Western Cape houses some of the regions with the worst murder rates in South Africa, it is uncertain if this perception of stability is true.