The Referendum Party has formally submitted a request to join the Multi-Party Charter (MPC), which ActionSA revealed was rejected.

The Referendum Party was launched in November last year and describes itself as a single-issue political party that seeks a referendum on Cape Independence.

It fears a “more radical and more destructive” coalition government, led by the African National Congress (ANC).

Referendum Party leader Phil Craig points out that major focus areas of the MPC are to remove an ANC government from power and bring power to the people.

“Asking the Western Cape people, in a referendum held in accordance with the South African Constitution, whether they want to rid themselves of the ANC and EFF [Economic Freedom Fighters] forever is entirely consistent with these values. This is exactly what Cape independence will achieve,” Craig says.

However, ActionSA came out strongly against the Referendum Party’s application to join the MPC.

“ActionSA rejected the proposal outright and informed the MPC that we were not willing to be associated with the Referendum Party. ActionSA would sooner leave the MPC than be associated with the Cape Independence movement. We were pleased that we did not stand alone in this position and, because the Charter operates by consensus, the application of the Referendum Party was rejected,” the party said.

It disagreed with many on the Referendum Party’s main objective: Cape Independence.  

ActionSA strongly rejected the idea of the Western Cape becoming an independent State from the Republic, calling it “constitutionally offensive” and exclusionary.

It says the Referendum Party’s objective is based on a misplaced view that the Western Cape is exceptional. While it agreed that the ANC needed to be removed from power, ActionSA said it was holding back the entire country, not just the Western Cape, and that this did not justify an independent State.

“When the Charter was formed, it was explicitly agreed that parties that apply to join must adhere to the Constitution and share similar values on how South Africa is to be advanced. It is patently clear that the Referendum Party would never meet this standard given their only idea is to divide the country that the Charter is committed to unite. The reason the Referendum Party’s values are incongruent with the Charter is because they are not interested in fixing South Africa. Their only idea for improving the lives of residents of the Western Cape is through secession from South Africa. They are fundamentally wrong,” ActionSA says.