The Cape Independence Party (CAPEXIT) party has confirmed that it’ll be sending a group of representatives from Brackenfell to the Northern Cape next week, for the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) march to dismantle Orania.
The march, which will see the red berets descend on the offices of Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul, is scheduled for Tuesday 22 April.
CapeXit says it has received particular interest from its teams in the Brackenfell area who have asked to attend said protest. Party leader Jack Miller says the delegation will be sent, as he feels the red berets do not have a good track record of being disciplined. He also made reference to the EFF’s protest in 2020, when police and party members clashed outside a Brackenfell school premises.
“Orania has got more reason to exist than Khayelitsha and Soweto, based on the reason that the EFF gives that it’s exclusively white and afrikaans. Well, the truth is that Orania is actually 97% white and 95% afrikaans-speaking, whereas Khayelitsha is 99.5% black-african and Soweto is 98.5% black-african. Orania is more inclusive than Khayelitsha and Soweto. Orania has more people of different ethnicities and cultures,” said Miller.
The party leader says that the Brackenfell residents are there to ensure peace is maintained.
“If the EFF is going to ask Orania to be more inclusive, they should be asking the same thing of Soweto and Khayelitsha. We have got faith that the EFF Northern Cape division are being sincere when they say that they intend this to be a peaceful march, and we simply have offered our support to the Orania community as well as to private security and law enforcement that if our support is required we will be there to provide it, but we do believe it will be peaceful,” Miller added.
EFF Northern Cape chairperson Shadrack Tlhaole reckons Miller’s view is disappointing and discriminatory.
“His view is that of a racist person that is undermining black people. His character is not unifying. His character is that of a person who wants to fight, and we wonder if he is more than willing to fight than build this country. The Brackenfell issue was necessitated by racial tensions. How do you compare Orania with Khayelitsha? Our people in Khayelitsha are squatters in an area where you would not appreciate to stay there. He, himself, would not want to stay there because of service delivery issues.”
Tlhaole says the protest is not against Orania’s right to exist. He insists that he simply wants Orania to be integrated with the rest of the country, rather than isolating itself.
“We are not saying that Orania should not exist. We are saying that Orania should co-exist with everyone. We met with the Freedom Front Plus. We met with the community of Orania, and they never said what this guy is saying. Instead, they appreciated us. They said, ‘You are one of the best organisations in South Africa. You tell the truth as it is. You don’t mince your words, and in this instance, you approached us peacefully and we can see what you want to achieve,’ said Tlhaole.”
