The Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) has renewed its campaign for a referendum on Western Cape independence by appealing directly to United States President Donald Trump for political support.
In an open letter released on Thursday, CIAG leader Phil Craig argued that the United States should publicly back the democratic right of Western Cape residents to determine their constitutional future.
The appeal comes amid ongoing debate around South Africa’s political direction, minority rights, and the country’s relationship with Western powers.
Craig, who visited the US last year as part of efforts to internationalise the Cape independence movement, said emigration was not the answer for Afrikaners and other minority communities who feel increasingly alienated in South Africa.
CIAG Calls For International Support
In the letter, Craig thanked Trump for his stance on South African affairs and recent asylum policies affecting South African applicants.
However, he argued that leaving the country would amount to “surrender” and claimed that greater regional autonomy offered a more sustainable long-term solution.
Craig said many residents of the Western Cape wanted the ability to make decisions about governance, economic policy, and social development independently from the national government.
According to the CIAG leader, South Africa’s different cultural and ethnic groups function best when allowed greater autonomy while cooperating on equal terms.
He urged the US administration to engage with both national and provincial authorities in South Africa to support a referendum on Cape independence.
Craig also promoted the idea of an independent Western Cape as a democratic and Western-aligned partner strategically positioned along major international shipping routes.
The CIAG has long argued that the Western Cape contributes significantly to South Africa’s economy and governance standards and should have greater self-determination.
South African Government Rejects Secession Calls
The South African government has consistently rejected any suggestion of secession or territorial separation.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya previously stated that no part of South Africa would be allowed to break away from the republic.
He stressed that while citizens are free to exercise constitutional rights, those rights should not be used to undermine constitutional democracy.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has also criticised attempts to involve foreign governments in domestic political matters.
Dirco spokesperson Crispin Phiri previously said South Africa was a sovereign republic and not a “foreign protectorate”.
He added that South African institutions and the Constitution serve all citizens regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender.
Craig nevertheless argued that an independent Cape would better preserve minority cultural identities and provide future generations with political and economic stability within Africa.
In his letter, he drew historical comparisons between early American settlers and communities in the Cape, describing both as societies built through frontier expansion and development.
He also claimed that an independent Cape region would strengthen Western influence at the southern tip of Africa and become an important strategic ally to the United States.
The debate over Cape independence remains politically sensitive in South Africa, where questions around federalism, provincial autonomy, and minority representation continue to generate public discussion.
While support for full independence remains contested, the issue has increasingly attracted international attention amid broader geopolitical tensions between South Africa and some Western governments.
Source: The Citizen
