Ramaphosa pours cold water on Western Cape secession debate

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa says none of the parties forming the Government of National Unity (GNU) have lobbied him to consider holding a referendum to test public opinion for secession of any part of South Africa.

He made the remarks when he dismissed the idea of secession of the Western Cape, the creation of a Volkstaat for Afrikaners and Western Cape independence, during a written parliamentary answer.

Ramaphosa said the Constitution obliged him to defend the supreme law of the country and promote unity of the nation.

“The founding provisions of our Constitution state that the Republic of South Africa is one, sovereign, democratic state,” Ramaphosa said.

“In line with the constitutional responsibility of the president to uphold, defend, and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic and to promote the unity of the nation, I have no intention of considering a proposal or holding a referendum on the secession of any part of the country,” he said.

This is yet another blow to the  Cape Independence Party (CAPEXIT) which claims to advocate for the “economic and political independence of the Cape.”

Ramaphosa was also asked about members of the Cabinet holding dual citizenship.

He said there was no record kept of members of Cabinet who hold dual citizenship as this issue does not play a role in the appointment of members of Cabinet.

“According to Section 47(1) of the Constitution, every citizen of the Republic of South Africa, who is qualified to vote for the National Assembly, and who is not disqualified by the Constitution, can be a member of the National Assembly and by extension can be appointed as a minister.”

Ramaphosa said the Constitution does not require that members of the Cabinet should be vetted before  being appointed by the president.

He further stated that the Constitution provides for the president to appoint ministers from the members of the National Assembly and not more than two persons outside from the National Assembly.

“The Constitution does not require members of Cabinet to be vetted and cleared by the State Security Agency before they are appointed by the president.”

He said all ministers who are currently serving in the Cabinet qualified to be ministers according to the Constitution.

Cape Times