#Elections2019: Everything you need to know about Cape Party

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Name: Cape Party Founded: 2007 (Officially Registered) Leader: Jack Miller What it stands for: Owing to the Cape's unique historical identity, the Cape Party will pursue all legal and democratic means to further the cause to create an independent republic in the Western Cape.

Currently the Western Cape contributes R204 billion in taxes to the treasury and receives only R50 billion in return. This means that 75% of the taxes collected in the Cape are swallowed up by other provinces and by the ANC national government. In an independent Cape there would be four times as much money for schools, hospitals and essential services.

History in a nutshell:

A relatively new political party gaining traction in by elections in the Western Cape since 2017. By winning between 10-20% of the vote in DA strongholds during by elections the Cape Party has shown that it is a force to be reckoned with.

Party's position on the following 10 hot button issues:

LAND:

Opposes expropriation without compensation. Favours willing buyer, willing seller.

CORRUPTION:

The party believes in wholesale political and electoral reform by virtue of direct democracy in which power is removed from politicians and returned to the people by direct votes on policy matters. It also favours a recall mechanism for non performing public representatives. No corrupt politician should be allowed to continue in office perpetually. Such politicians must be subject to a recall election.

STATE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

Local governments should have more powers devolved to it. Wards budgets should be increased and centralised metros should be broken up. A decentralised structure will make politicians directly accountable to the people.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE:

We need to send a very strong message to criminals. We will impose maximum sentences for any violent crimes against women and children. We support holding a referendum on the death penalty.

ENVIRONMENT:

The Cape Party seeks to restore our natural environment and preserve the pristine beauty of the Cape.

The Party's vision is to protect and to care for the natural world, both on land and sea. We aim to protect all species, promote healthy habitats and ensure that environmental matters are appropriately addressed by government according to the will of local communities.

The Cape's fishing communities and our oceans have suffered tremendously under the governments disregard for this fundamental part of the Cape's economy and natural environment. We need to overhaul the policies that have destroyed the Cape's fishing communities and industry.

In addition, the farmers and communities of the Karoo region need to be given the appropriate authority to decide on the direction of any attempts to utilise their natural resources, specifically in the case of controversial fracking.

We will ensure that existing environmental laws are maintained and enhanced.

The Cape Party plans to take back control of our energy and introduce a fair and just Energy System. The party aims to restore and protect the oceans, and curb plastic waste.

STATE OF THE SOEs:

SOEs to be privatized, sold or abolished altogether starting with SAA, Eskom and the SABC.

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:

The Cape Party embraces the decentralised and interconnected grass-roots governance systems, both political and economic, that the internet and related technologies have brought to the 21st Century.

It believes that communities can better govern themselves through simple applications via a mobile phone that hold politicians and government to account. Schools can be built, police officers deployed, service-delivery localised and pot-holes fixed at the click of a button with the technologies of the 21st Century. No longer do we have to wait 5 years to vote on our day to day needs and demands, we can have a responsive government every minute of every day. And to this the Cape Party will introduce a local community-driven digital platform that will ensure that service-delivery to people is both effective and fast.

In addition to this, the Cape Party embraces technology advancements in the economic sphere that would facilitate individual financial freedom and more efficient payment models in the form of cryptocurrencies and the underlying blockchain technology that liberates citizens from the costly and inefficient economic models of the past.

CRIME:

The Cape Party has long argued for a provincial police force and will use the powers of the premier to hold a referendum on this should it come to power in the Western Cape after 8th May.

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

The party believes in scrapping red tape drastically lowering taxes on small businesses.

HOUSING:

Housing in the Western Cape will be allocated on a first come first serve basis, with new houses built allocated to people born in the Western Cape first.