PRESS RELEASE: CoCT Rail Study Illustrates How Cape Independence Will Benefit The Poor

Cape Town Rail Feasibility Study Illustrates How Cape Independence Will Benefit The Poor

Joint statement by: Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) and Referendum Party (RP)

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) announced yesterday that it had adopted a Rail Feasibility Study which would hand over control of rail services to the City. In an interview on Cape Talk, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, said that the goal was to provide a first-world rail service. The primary beneficiaries would be poor households who are currently spending more than 50% of their household income on transport.

The CIAG and RP both wholeheartedly endorse the devolution of rail and welcome this statement of intent. Ultimately, however, talk and intentions are futile if they do not produce results.

Quintas was at pains to point out that the devolution of rail, and the associated benefits to poor households, are only possible with the consent and financial backing of the National Government. 

The Western Cape generates ample tax revenue to fund a devolved first-world rail service. A total of 35% of all taxes raised in the Western Cape are used to prop up the rest of South Africa where they are then squandered on incompetence and corruption. To put this into context, Quintas estimates that the total cost of a devolved first-world rail service will be R123bn over 30 years. The Western Cape’s net subsidy to South Africa is currently R300bn per year. 

Cape Independence would allow the Western Cape people to chart their own course and to create a first-world country, not just with a first-world rail service, but also with a vibrant economy, low unemployment, quality education and healthcare, and a drastic reduction in crime. The primary beneficiaries would be the poor.

DATE: 6 December 2024