CAPE TOWN – Civil rights group AfriForum will head to the Constitutional Court in an attempt to compel Parliament to amend South Africa’s referendum legislation so as to give provincial premiers the power to call for a referendum.
Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, told Salaamedia that the current legislation which regulates referendums is not aligned with the Constitution.
Kriel explained that the misalignment is because current legislation allows only the President of South Africa to call for a referendum. However, he explained, the country’s Constitution allows provincial premiers and the president to do so.
This comes after the Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG) began lobbying for Cape independence from South Africa. A recent poll, carried out on behalf of CIAG, found that 58% of Western Cape voters back a referendum on Cape independence and that 46% of Western Cape voters support Cape independence.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde previously stated that he is opposed to Cape independence and does not support calls for a referendum on the matter.
Inayet Wadee spoke to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, on News & Views. Listen to the full discussion here:
