Register your support for a referendum on Cape Independence.
Cape Independence would create a safer and more prosperous future for the Western Cape people by taking key decisions away from a national government we did not vote for and placing them in the hands of the Western Cape people themselves.
A referendum showing that the majority of the Western Cape people are in favour of Cape Independence is an essential and decisive step in the process but the Western Cape Premier is refusing to call one.
The Referendum Party is therefore actively supporting the Cape Independence Advocacy Group’s (CIAG) decision to privately organise a provincial referendum just as the Italian province of Veneto successfully did in 2014.
Register your support and share with your family and friends
Further information
Is it legal to hold a private referendum?
Yes, it is legal to hold a private referendum. We are only asking people their opinion on a specific question, just on a very large scale.
Will the results be legally binding?
No, the results will have political rather than legal significance. This is the same for both official and private referendums. The power of referendums is that in a democracy, once you know for a fact what the majority of people want, there has to be an extremely good justification to ignore their wishes.
What happened in Italy?
Veneto, the province of Italy which has Venice as its capital, held a private referendum on Venetian independence. A majority voted to secede. The government recognised the significance of the result and held their own official referendum which had the same outcome. As a result, an agreement was reached on greater provincial autonomy.
What happens next?
The CIAG will engage civil society and actors from across the political spectrum to build support for the referendum. In the meantime, they have already begun planning the technical aspects of the referendum to ensure that it is ‘free and fair’ and to organise independent and credible observer missions.
How can I help?
You can help raise awareness of the referendum by sharing this page with your contacts, you can get involved in the campaign itself by joining the Referendum Party and helping us campaign for a “leave” vote, and you can assist with raising funds for the referendum either by making a once off donation, a small monthly contribution, or joining the fundraising team. Please contact us directly using this email (hello@referendumparty.org) if you would like to get involved.