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Local – During a media briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa takes a “very strong dim view” of a proposed visit to the United States of America (US) by the Cape Independence Advocacy Group (CIAG), which intends to lobby for the Western Cape’s secession from South Africa.
In a formal letter to the President, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and the Western Cape Premier, the CIAG confirmed its plan to visit the US to raise funds and seek diplomatic support for its campaign.
It also outlined “contingency plans to hold a private referendum should the Premier continue to refuse to consult the Western Cape people on the matter.”
The Presidency has criticised the group’s actions as being out of step with the constitutional principles that underpin South African democracy.
It argued that the CIAG’s international lobbying efforts threatened the values of social cohesion and equality on which the post-apartheid state was founded.
“Our constitutional democracy that we forged in 1994 created a singular, non-racial state that recognises and protects our unity in diversity. From Musina to Cape Town, we are one democratic society that should never be allowed to fall under the chasm of race divide,” Magwenya stated.
In response, the CIAG maintains that its plans are entirely within the bounds of the law and constitutional rights. The organisation insists “it is pursuing Cape Independence legally, peacefully, and democratically” and that its efforts “strengthen rather than subvert constitutional democracy in South Africa.”
Despite the group’s assertions, Magwenya reiterated that while all South Africans enjoy the right to freedom of expression and political participation, those rights come with a responsibility not to undermine national unity.
“There is no part of our beautiful land that can be allowed to secede. As people exercise their constitutional given rights, they must not do so in a manner that undermines and subverts constitutional democracy in South Africa.”
“We should all be actively engaged in building a better South Africa in the face of unpredictable geopolitical dynamics.”
Ongoing Diplomatic Strain with the United States
The Presidency’s comments come during heightened diplomatic tension between South Africa and the United States.
These strains have deepened following the recent enactment of the Expropriation Act of 2025 and the expulsion of South Africa’s Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool.
Despite criticisms from Washington, Magwenya clarified that the legislation replaces the apartheid-era 1975 Expropriation Act and is intended to support land reform efforts by constitutional provisions.
“The 2025 Act introduces a transparent expropriation basis that strikes a healthy balance on land reform with legal protections. The Expropriation Act followed all the legally prescribed channels to be enacted into law.”
“It was passed by both the two houses of parliament, the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Thereafter, the President signed it into law.”
As diplomatic tensions persist between the two nations and the return of Ambassador Rasool, Magwenya called for restraint from all political actors. He cautioned that inflammatory rhetoric or provocative actions risk further damaging the fragile relationship with the US.
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Response to US Allegations Regarding Iran
Magwenya also addressed recent comments by US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, who claimed that South Africa was “reinvigorating its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.”
He affirmed that South Africa’s long-standing relationship with Iran is based on historical ties rooted in the anti-apartheid struggle and that there is no involvement in nuclear weapons development. South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme was dismantled in 1994, a process verified by United Nations inspectors.
“Iran is on historic records as having played a critical role and supported the South African liberation movements. One of its leadership by-example role was its severing of official relations with South Africa in 1979 and imposed a trade boycott against the regime.”
“The action was a direct protest against the apartheid regime’s policies. Therefore, there is nothing nefarious in the relationship between South Africa and Iran.”
