Cape Town - Outspoken Cape politician Peter Marais is on a new mission to get the Western Cape declared a “free federal state”, urging coloured people to throw off the yolk of a “slave mentality” and fight for law and order, Afrikaans, and recognition of coloured struggle leaders.
And he called for a referendum for Cape people to choose their own future.
President of the Brown Consciousness Bond (Bruin Bewustheid Bond), Marais is a self-appointed crusader for the restoration of coloureds to their “rightful place” in society, and calls for “African originals” to stand up for their rights.
Using Heritage Day to drum up support for his free Cape concept, Marais told community leaders at the Bellville South Community Centre of his vision for a free federal state.
“The Western Cape cannot and should not allow itself to be dragged down into a cesspool of crime, corruption, mediocrity, economic implosion and bad governance by an incompetent and unaccountable government,” he said.
He criticised the recent ruckus between the EFF and the Speaker of Parliament, and accused the Speaker of militarising Parliament by summoning the police to control MPs.
Marais said the Western Cape was the fourth-largest province in terms of area and population. He called for a referendum, similar to the one recently held in Scotland, for residents to give their opinion on a federal state.
The advantage of federalism was that minorities could become political majorities within their own states or regions and live without being dominated by centralised majorities.
“Our provinces are constitutionally too weak,” he said. The Western Cape depended on the central parliament for 95 percent of its budget. “Our Western Cape parliament needs exclusive and original powers, not mere delegated authority, if we are to become a functional federal state.”
Marais said a free Cape would “hopefully” restore the land to the Khoi, Griquas and Korannas of which they were robbed through war and the depredations of colonists.
“A free Cape will not expel nor deny anybody freedom of movement on the basis of race or religion but will look after the total interest of all its citizens as a priority before allowing an uncontrolled and unregulated influx of job seekers from other countries.”
A federal state would be able to counter the threat to Afrikaans, making it the official language with English as the second language.
“Police stations are manned by policemen who cannot converse or take down our statements in Afrikaans. Even the court orderlies, prosecutors and most judges are English speaking. How can we receive justice if justice cannot hear nor understand us in our mother tongue?”
Marais said the government at national and provincial level disregarded the culture and history of minorities.
“How can we celebrate our heritage if our culture has been destroyed and our history remains locked away in archives instead of our school history books?”
Marais also wanted to see a statue of coloured leaders who had fought against apartheid. “They did not throw stones, necklace innocent people, or plant bombs, but they nevertheless fought a gallant, non-violent fight with the same conviction as those who employed violent means.”
Cape Argus