Cape Independence Party wins seat in Cape Town Metro for the first time

Lester Kiewit speaks to the Cape Independence Party, founder Jack Miller Party.

Cape Independence Party leader jack Miller says the signs are clear that voters are looking for alternative voices and the party aims to be one of those

Miller notes that it does not yet have enough support to call a referendum and push for the Western Cape to vote to leave the Republic of South Africa

He explains that there were some issues regarding the recording of numbers on results slips at polling stations and have signed affidavits from voters who say they voted for the Cape Independence Party

Miller says the number of affidavits would push the party to obtaining a second council seat

The Cape Independence Party, best known for its policy calling to exit the Western Cape from the rest of South Africa, won 5,316 ward votes and 4,962 PR votes in the City of Cape Town totalling 10,278 or 0.57% of the vote in that municipality.

It is the first time the party will have a seat in the Cape Town City Council since it first began contesting elections in 2009 and its first local government election in 2011.

Lester Kiewit speaks to the Cape Independence Party, founder Jack Miller Party.

We are very happy with the results...but we are still raising concerns about the counting process with the IEC and may even end up with two seats.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

Miller says signs that voters are choosing smaller parties are positive.

The problem with national government is that the ANC has a stranglehold on national power and we have the exact same problem right here in the Western Cape - the Democratic Alliance has a stranglehold on the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

We are really emboldened to see the DA drop-down from their two-thirds majority previously to 58%.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

The people of the Western Cape - and South Africa - have grown so disillusioned with politics - and the DA and ANC losing as significantly as they have is a sign they are looking for alternative voices - and we certainly intend to be one of those alternative voices.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

And on the issue of calling for the province to leave South Africa. Do they feel they have support with only 0.5% of voters?

It is not an insignificant number but I agree are not at the point yet where we can push for a referendum.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

Miller says it has been a long and tough road for the party but hopes this win will be a boost to the party and acknowledges in the past people did not take the message of independence seriously 14 years ago - but believes this is now changing.

I think the idea of Cape independence and much more autonomy is something we have been steadfast in our belief on for 14 years.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

Having a seat at the table with these parties who have been steering the ship is a very important sign.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

In terms of coalitions, he says the party is open to working with any other party that is open to greater decentralisation.

Miller says at certain polling stations, IEC officials prevented the Cape Independence party agents from photographing the results slip. There is a big difference between a ballot and a results slip, he explains.

One needs to record the methods by which the IEC is recording the data - and in some instances, the IEC officers forcing party agents...to sign off on result slips on which there were no numbers entered into the results category.
Jack Miller, Leader - Cape Independence Party

He says in stations where for example, the Cape Independence Party knows it had significant votes, the IEC into the IEC website the following day reflected zero votes.

Miller says the party has approached voters over the past week and validated that they received votes.