Advocacy group welcomes tabling of Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill

The Cape Independence Advocacy Group has welcomed the recent tabling of the Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill which seeks to devolve national powers to the province.

The organisation says that the move is in the best interest of the province’s residents.

The Democratic Alliance’s introduction of this bill in the legislature means that if passed, the province would assert existing powers or seek additional powers in areas of policing, public transport and municipal transport.

Founder of the group, Phil Craig says, “It’s clear that South Africa has significant troubles and that many of the constitutional obligations towards the people of South Africa aren’t being met by the national government. In 2019, we saw the Western Cape elect a government for the purposes of trying to achieve the devolution of powers and most specifically, the focus is on policing and rail. There was a clear mandate from the Western Cape people for the devolution of powers and the Western Cape’s government’s been trying to attain those powers since then. But the national government is effectively refusing to grant the democratic will of the Western Cape people.”

Purpose of the bill

In a statement, the Western Cape government outlined the purpose of the bill, which include:

• Identify and remedy failures of the National Government;
• Promote the assertion of existing provincial powers;
• Actively seek the assignment or delegation of additional power;
• Mandate the Western Cape Government to prepare reports and draft bills to fulfil those objects; and
• Create a mechanism for the Western Cape Parliament to introduce national legislation in the National Council of Provinces through its delegates.

DA introduces Provincial Bill to devolve national powers to Western Cape!

National Government is unwilling to act in the best interests of Western Cape citizens, within & outside the WC’s constitutional competence – the driving force behind the Bill.https://t.co/LyKiWVEQWs

— DA Western Cape (@WesternCapeDA) May 30, 2023