[imagesource: CapeXit]

You’ve heard about Brexit, but now it’s time for CapeXit.

Pronounce it however you want, because I don’t think it’s going to matter very much.

CapeXit is “an independent/non-political movement for all people”, according to the website, seeking to obtain 1,6 million registered people to request a referendum on whether the Western Cape should be separated from South Africa.

The website claims that it has already racked up 800 000 registrations via its website.

Would we love the Vaalies to have to show their passports before they could enter the Cape? I dunno – I’d settle for having to show they don’t have any awful tribal tattoos, but that’s neither here nor there.

Jokes aside, here’s TimesLIVE with a look at how it would all work, or not work, actually.

You don’t have to be a constitutional law expert to know this is clutching at straws, but it never hurts:

However, constitution expert Pierre de Vos said the idea of an independent Western Cape is nothing but a pipe dream.

“This is not how democracy works. The government would not allow a referendum and they don’t have to call for one if they don’t want to,” said De Vos.

“It is better people know now that this is not going to happen so they aren’t disappointed when it doesn’t happen.”

The video below speaks with those advocating for this split, as well as legal experts like de Vos, and is worth a quick watch:

The map right up top shows the proposed area, and the ‘Proposed Area’ section states the following:

Currently, the demographics are manipulated in the proposed region. It includes illegal aliens from other African countries, as well as people who are being strategically migrated by the current government for political gain with tax monies from indigenous people (white, Khoi and San) while they are being excluded economically.

No comment.

There are also question marks around the claims that 800 000 people have registered. The process doesn’t seem to have many checks and balances in place:

They don’t even do basic ID number validations, or send a verification email to the address you provide.

Do a verification and deduplication of the ID’s and then redo this interview.

— Ad Homonym (@jean_leroux) May 30, 2021

Obviously, this leaves the registration process ripe for silliness:

The excitement is going to be palpable when CapeXit realises they’ve persuaded the president. https://t.co/1GMDzb9f2e pic.twitter.com/XDPBcbJzCY

— Ad Homonym (@jean_leroux) May 30, 2021

The @capexitofficial Twitter account has attempted to push back on the above claims, along with another account going by ‘CapeXit Cycle Tour‘, but neither refutes that as things stand, you can complete the online registration using bogus details.

Go ahead and donate to CapeXit, if that’s your vibe, but just know that multiple legal minds have dismissed the idea as entirely implausible.

[sources:timeslive&capexit]