PRESS RELEASE: The Cape Flats Are Being Failed, Says Referendum Party (RP)

The Cape Flats Are Being Failed, Says Referendum Party (RP)

All three spheres of government have fundamentally failed the people of the Cape Flats, and radical action is now required. We cannot continue to look the other way as demarcation disputes and party politics condemn our young people to death in their thousands.

Responding to the news of the latest child to die, 4-year-old Davin Afrika, RP leader Phil Craig said, “As a father of young children myself, I can scarcely imagine the pain of losing my child. My heart goes out to the families who have had to endure such agony.”

No one suggests that the solutions to gang violence are easy, but that cannot be an excuse for accepting the status quo.

The national government has much to answer for. Its economic policies have led to a chronic increase in unemployment, its race policies to the exclusion of ‘coloured’ people in the Western Cape workforce, and its land policies to the illegal proliferation of vast informal settlements, depriving legal residents of resources.

In such circumstances, the people of the Cape Flats and the Western Cape need the other spheres of government to step up, but they have not.

The response of the provincial government has been pitiful. Despite being elected with a mandate to pursue devolved policing powers, Premier Winde has been weak to the point of dereliction of duty and has made no progress whatsoever. Instead, he has opposed almost every initiative that could have delivered on his election promises, such as the Western Cape People’s Bill, a referendum on provincial autonomy, and a provincial motion of no confidence in the national government’s management of SAPS.

The City of Cape Town has done little more. It seems far more focused on improving conditions for illegal land invaders than on protecting and servicing law-abiding residents.

The RP believes the first and critical step to solving the problems of the Cape Flats is asserting the Western Cape people’s right to make decisions for themselves—their right to self-determination. This will allow both the Province and the City to act in the best interests of the people, regardless of how incompetent, corrupt, or ideologically destructive the national government may be.

Craig added, “The DA’s Ian Cameron asked on X this week whether the time has come for the Cape to emulate El Salvador’s strategy on gang violence. Ian is one of the good guys. He is no doubt asking the question on X because he would be talking to a brick wall were he to suggest it to Winde. It was a rhetorical question. If he didn’t think it was the answer, he wouldn’t have posed the question.”

DATE: 18 February 2025

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Die Kaapse Vlakte word in die steek gelaat, sê Referendum Party (RP)

Al drie vlakke van die regering het die mense van die Kaapse Vlakte fundamenteel gefaal, en radikale optrede is nou noodsaaklik. Ons kan nie langer die ander kant toe kyk terwyl afbakeningsgeskille en party-politiek ons jongmense in hul duisende tot die dood veroordeel nie.

In reaksie op die nuus van die jongste kind wat gesterf het, die vierjarige Davin Afrika, het RP-leier Phil Craig gesê: “As ‘n vader van jong kinders kan ek skaars die pyn indink om my eie kind te verloor. My hart gaan uit na die families wat sulke ondraaglike lyding moes verduur.”

Niemand beweer dat die oplossings vir bendegeweld eenvoudig is nie, maar dit kan nie ‘n verskoning wees om die status quo te aanvaar nie.

Die nasionale regering het baie om voor te antwoord. Sy ekonomiese beleid het gelei tot ‘n chroniese styging in werkloosheid, sy rassebeleid het ‘bruinmense’ in die Wes-Kaap uit die arbeidsmag uitgesluit, en sy grondbeleid het bygedra tot die onwettige uitbreiding van massiewe informele nedersettings, wat wettige inwoners van noodsaaklike hulpbronne beroof.

Onder sulke omstandighede moes die ander regeringsfere intree om die mense van die Kaapse Vlakte en die Wes-Kaap te help, maar dit het nie gebeur nie.

Die provinsiale regering se reaksie was pateties. Ten spyte daarvan dat hy met ‘n mandaat verkies is om gedesentraliseerde polisiëringsmagte na te streef, was Premier Winde so swak in sy optrede dat dit neerkom op pligsversuim. Hy het geen vordering gemaak nie en het eerder amper elke inisiatief teengestaan wat hom kon help om sy verkiesingsbeloftes na te kom—soos die Wes-Kaapse Volkswet, ‘n referendum oor provinsiale outonomie, en ‘n provinsiale mosie van wantroue in die nasionale regering se bestuur van die SAPD.

Die Stad Kaapstad het ook min gedoen. Dit lyk asof die stadsraad meer gefokus is op die verbetering van toestande vir onwettige grondbesetters as op die beskerming en dienslewering aan wetsgehoorsame inwoners.

Die RP glo dat die eerste en belangrikste stap om die probleme van die Kaapse Vlakte op te los, is om die Wes-Kaapse mense se reg tot selfbeskikking te bekragtig. Dit sal beide die Provinsie en die Stad in staat stel om in die beste belang van hul inwoners op te tree—ongeag hoe onbevoeg, korrup of ideologies vernietigend die nasionale regering mag wees.

Craig het bygevoeg: “Die DA se Ian Cameron het hierdie week op X gevra of dit nie tyd is dat die Kaap El Salvador se strategie teen bendegeweld volg nie. Ian is een van die goeie mense. Hy vra waarskynlik die vraag op X omdat hy teen ‘n muur sou vasloop as hy dit vir Winde sou voorhou. Dit was ‘n retoriese vraag. As hy nie gedink het dit is die antwoord nie, sou hy nie die vraag gevra het nie.”

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