President Cyril Ramaphosa takes a ‘very strong dim view’ of the Cape Independence Advocacy Group’s proposed visit to the United States of America in April to seek the Western Cape’s secession from South Africa.

Also, people planning homecoming rallies for expelled US Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool were requested to do so without doing acting in a way that may be viewed as inflammatory as to not worsen the ‘already volatile diplomatic relationship’ SA has with the US.

This according to Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya who addressed the media yesterday morning.

“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.

[WATCH] The Cape Independence Advocacy Group say they intend to meet with White House officials to heighten their call for Cape Independence. pic.twitter.com/D3Bbifi8eK

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 20, 2025

“There is no part of our beautiful land that can be allowed to secede. The president cautions everyone to exercise his or her constitutionally given right, but to do so in the manner that does not undermine and subvert constitutional democracy in South Africa.

“We should all be actively engaged in building a better South Africa in the face of unpredictable geo-political dynamics,” Magwenya said.

Cape Independence Advocacy Group leader Phil Craig told The Citizen their planned visit to the US in April has several objectives, including raising awareness for the Cape independence campaign and their objectives. They will also highlight objectives that could be beneficial to the US.

In response, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has accused the advocacy group of ‘creating space for the US to colonise the Western Cape’.

Turbulent times

Of late, South Africa has grappled with tensions with the US, following the promulgation of the Expropriation Act of 2025 and, more recently, the expulsion of South African Ambassador to the USA, Ebrahim Rasool.

Magwenya explained that the Expropriation Act of 2025 replaces the Apartheid government’s 1975 Expropriation Act to align it to the country’s ‘land reform policies in line with our democratic constitutional order’.

“The new Act introduces a transparent expropriation basis that strikes a healthy balance on land reform with legal protections. The Expropriation Act followed all legal prescribed channels to be enacted into law.

“Therefore, it leaves one to wonder what wrong we have done as a country with respect to this particular Act. We remain a rule of law society, and we adhere unwaveringly to the principles of our constitutional democracy.

“We strongly reject any insinuation or assertion that through the Expropriation Act, we are committing acts of human rights violations, we are arbitrarily expropriating land,” Magwenya said.

On the return of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, Magwenya said government urges all political formations planning homecoming rallies for the ambassador to ‘refrain from partaking or engaging in actions that may seem inflammatory’ and that may ‘worsen the already volatile diplomatic relationship with the United States’. – SAnews.gov.za

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