The Western Cape could become a partially independent province, if local government has its way.
Known as the Provincial Powers Bill, it would give the province’s leaders control over several functions that they believe they will be able to manage better than national government. This includes oversight of touchy services like policing, electricity supply, trade and public transport.
The idea is not as revolutionary as it may sound, but it has caused quite a stir, with the ANC saying the very thought of it is unconstitutional and comparing it to apartheid-era Bantustans.
Jacob Zuma even went as far as calling it a plan by white people to create their own territory and suggesting government reduce the number of provinces to four, effectively squashing the Western Cape’s hopes of independence.
I haven’t picked a side yet, but I have noticed how nervous this is making the ANC and how the party is addressing everything but the sound reasoning from the other side of the argument.
Rather than addressing their service- delivery failures, they are choosing the avenue of fear-mongering about a return to segregation.
Any right-minded person knows that we will never return to anything remotely resembling apartheid as a nation or province, but it also doesn’t take a genius to notice the very obvious differences between the governing successes of the two parties.
And that is really the measure by which most people will make their decision on this topic. In fact, the Western Cape is as crowded as it is, because people from other provinces come here for better opportunities, services, schooling and general lifestyle.
This is a case where the proof is quite literally in the pudding for almost everybody who comes here for a visit versus just about any other province in South Africa.
The ANC would do well to learn from how the DA governs, even if it is part and parcel of opposition strategy.
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