ATM leader Vuyo Zungula wants Home Affairs to act against Phil Craig, the founder of the Referendum Party. Picture: Supplied
The founder of the Referendum Party (RP), Phil Craig, who has been calling for Cape Independence, has invited African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader, Vuyo Zungula, over for coffee.
This comes after Zungula gave Craig 72 hours to vacate the country following his calls for the Western Cape to be given an independent status to govern itself.
After DA leader and Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber responded to Craig’s request for the Cape independence proposal on Tuesday, Zungula criticised the DA for endorsing his citizenship status.
Zungula said Schreiber’s response reflects a biased narrative and a selective interpretation of the law that conveniently seeks to absolve Craig of his violations of naturalisation provisions.
He said this prohibits the naturalisation of a person acting outside the interests of the country he seeks to reside in.
“While the department expresses its commitment to investigating cases where citizenship may have been fraudulently acquired or granted in violation of the law, it simultaneously overlooks its obligations to address significant threats to national unity and security posed by individuals like Mr Craig.
“The Constitution’s provisions do not shield individuals who engage in actions detrimental to the state or advocate for divisive sentiments that undermine national cohesion,” Zungula said.
Zungula added that Craig’s relentless promotion of Cape Independence is not an exercise in political dissent but rather a destructive ideology that risks inciting discord rooted in South Africa’s historical context of apartheid and division.
“While the right to freedom of expression is constitutionally enshrined, Section 16(2) of the Constitution delineates clear exceptions where such freedom cannot be extended to actions that incite violence or propagate hatred based on race or ethnicity — criteria that Mr Craig’s rhetoric undeniably meets. The legacy of apartheid obligates us to be vigilant against divisive speech and actions, as our nation continues to heal from its past.
“According to Section 8(2)(b) of the South African Citizenship Act of 1995, a naturalised citizen can forfeit their citizenship if they engage in acts perceived to undermine the state’s interests. Mr Craig’s consistent advocacy for a separate Cape state is a direct challenge to our national sovereignty, warranting a reassessment of his citizenship status,” he added.
Responding to calls for the Department of Home Affairs to deport him, Craig on Wednesday invited Zungula over for a coffee chat over his sentiments, saying: “Judging by their recent public statements, it is clear that the African Transformation Movement (ATM) fundamentally misunderstands both the motivations which drive Cape Independence and the constitutional imperatives upon which it is based.”
Craig indicated that calling for the independence of the province is not illegal as the Constitution has provisions for it.
“The Constitution protects the right to hold, promote political beliefs, and to form political parties. It recognises the right to self-determination, not just for the South African people as whole, but also for communities within South Africa.
“It recognises that those communities could potentially exercise this right in any way. It recognises the authority of international law and the relevant treaties which South Africa has signed, and it establishes the right for provinces to hold their own referendums,” he said.
According to Craig, the role of the Referendum Party is to propose that a provincial referendum be held in which all registered voters in the Western Cape be allowed to democratically express their views on whether they would like the Western Cape to become an independent sovereign state.
“The independent Western Cape that the RP’s envisions would be entirely non-racial, having done away with all race-based policy, would have a market-oriented economy designed to maximise economic growth and job creation, and would have a professional competent civil service divorced from ideology and party politics. The goal is to provide a better life for all.
“In light of this, the ATM’s various claims are utterly ridiculous. They include that the RP seeks to create a genocidal state, and that the RP seeks to incite violence and propagate hatred based on race and ethnicity. These are outright lies,’’ he said.
The Star
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za
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