A beacon of hope in the Cape

The original article was published by The Cape Independent and can be found here. 

Amid rising costs of living and the slow-moving political crises of the West, guest author Jurgen van het Bolscher sees hope in an independent Cape. 

As South Africa declines, more and more people are trying to distance themselves from the disaster of the South African government. Where the Solidariteit Beweging, known primarily for their member organisations AfriForum and Maroela media, is trying to build institutions robust enough to survive societal collapse, the Cape have introduced a more radical element by trying to remove themselves from the grip of the ANC government entirely.

In recent years the independence movement has gained meaningful traction from a coalition of civil groups, and have found majority support in the province from professional polling.

Contrasted against the bleak future of South Africa composed by the decaying, corrupt and incompetent ANC government, the Cape offers one of the few real sparks of hope.

These efforts do not only signify hope to the Cape, but have meaning for those abroad in the West too. In recent years, many have started seeing South Africa as a forerunner nation to the West and as we follow in the footsteps of South African decline, many are looking for greener pastures.

Roughly 20 000 Dutch émigrés leave The Netherlands yearly to seek a better future for themselves and their families, they seek more freedom, land, peacefulness, and fewer crises. These ‘Crisis-refugees’ are fleeing the countless crises plaguing their Western countries. Where South Africa has shown what mass-migration, corruption, debt and political crises will lead to, it might ironically be a South African province that will become a destination for these refugees.

The view from the Netherlands

Like in most independence struggles, foreign powers will also be meddling in domestic affairs. The movement will find allies and opponents of Cape Independence.

As South Africa is part of BRICS, their trade partners would be working hand in glove with the ANC to prevent SA from Balkanizing. Particularly because an increasingly unstable Middle East and Red Sea would make the Ports of Cape Town and Durban more important on the world stage. BRICS therefore would oppose Cape Independence.

On the other hand, the independence movement might find allies in the West. In the Netherlands Forum for Democracy(FVD) and the Party for Freedom(PVV) are both critical of the ANC government over their racial quotas, corruption, and ignoring of the ‘plaasmoorde’.

The PVV won the election last year in a shocking victory and are currently in very tough negotiations with other right-wing parties to form a potential ruling coalition. The party leader Geert Wilders has a chance of becoming the next prime minister. Martin Bosma, a member of the PVV and current speaker of the House of Representatives, has written a book, “Minderheid in eigen land”, about the history and situation of South Africa and has spoken publicly about the struggle of the Afrikaners.

Simone Kerseboom of FVD, a right-wing ‘anti-globalist movement’ with a medium size but dedicated following is making a documentary ‘ons sal self’ and is committed to increase awareness about the Afrikaner struggle, the history of South Africa and its parallels with the West.

Not only politicians are talking about South Africa, journalists like Wierd Duk and Joost Niemoller have also touched on the subject. Duk recently did a tour in South Africa and recorded a podcast with Solidariteit Beweging’s Jaco Kleynhands in Orania. After his trip he published a long story in de Telegraaf, one of the biggest newspapers in the Netherlands.

Unfortunately, the mainstream discourse around South Africa and indeed Cape Independence, has been somewhat muted. In the podcast Kleynhans mentioned very aptly: “We speak more about The Netherlands than they talk about us”. Here and there a few articles have popped up over the years about Cape Independence. While recent articles in the Telegraaf and the NRC talk about the CapeXit lobby group and Phill Craig’s Referendum party, both pour doubt on the cause.

Tragically the Dutch public has largely forgotten about the bond between Afrikaners and the Netherlands, who are descendants of the Dutch ‘vrijburgers’ who settled the Cape of Good Hope as early as the 17th century.

Bosma and Kerseboom have achieved more awareness with their own constituents, but a large part of the public has had their collective memory of the rich relationship and history between our countries replaced with the memory of apartheid. They might hold a negative view of Independence as they incorrectly perceive it as a White revanchist movement.

Though when placed in the context of recent geopolitical events, public opinion might as well fall on the side of independence. Public opinion could shift either way depending upon the position of the government and establishment parties.

The Western establishment parties, although obviously and purposefully ignoring the plight of the White minority and the failure of the multicultural project of South Africa, might very well be supportive of Cape Independence. For them, it would not be about ensuring self-determination and protection for minorities but about the weakening of a BRICS member state.

As the global conflict between East and West deepens, Western governments would benefit from Cape Independence, as it would remove BRICS control over one of two waterways around the continent of Africa.

Republic of South Africa

While the Republic continues to decay, the government will struggle to maintain legitimacy and authority. This year is an election year and the ANC will either maintain the tiniest majority or will become a plurality.

Seeing how the ANC has already formed coalitions with the EFF in local jurisdictions, it’s likely they will choose Julius Malema as a ruling partner and not the DA or the ‘Moonshot pact’. As ANC rule continues, regardless of co-ruling partners, they will try to keep the collapsing country together.

Attempts at independence or autonomy will be met with fierce resistance as success would pose a challenge to government power and ANC rule, it would set a precedent and example for anyone else wanting to leave the Republic.

As the government tries to crush any self-determination, it will use all its power to keep everyone inside the decaying and dangerous society. This makes it tough but also extremely necessary for the welfare of Cape residents to leave the Republic. And if they pull it off the new Capitol of Cape Town will have the chance to become a shining city on the hill.
 

The Cape Republic

The Cape, independent and governed correctly, with its bountiful assets, would become a popular destination for many. Westerners who are leaving their homelands behind would look to the Cape for settlement. If welcomed they would bring in wealth, foreign investments and expertise for all who live there.

The Port of Cape Town would become a large trade hub as the Port of Durban is mismanaged and a free Cape government could effectively utilize the more frequent blockages in the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Persecuted farmers and other minorities in the interior of SA could find a safe haven away from plaasmoorde, racial quotas and other forms of racism. Many of the émigrés who once left South Africa would find reason to return. Now safe, tourists would return en masse to come visit this new country for its old attractions.

With all this combined, the Cape has a real chance of becoming an independent and prosperous First World country. A pathway to a beautiful, free, and prosperous Cape Republic exists, and it starts with independence.