Cape Independence, Medupi mayhem and Cadre deployment with Magnus Heystek

Regular BizNews co-host and Brenthurst Wealth Management co-founder Magnus Heystek joins Alec Hogg to talk all things topical, namely Cape Independence, chaos at Medupi and Cadre deployment. The main topic of conversation centred around Magnus’ 10-day trip to the Western Cape, which he says is a new country in itself. Magnus says that the rest of the country should take a page out of the Western Cape’s book with the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl triangle becoming the new area of growth and prosperity for the region. – Justin Rowe-Roberts

Magnus Heystek on returning from ‘another country’: 

It’s a short two hour flight and the same covid regulations – it’s called the Western Cape, you might have heard of it. A lot of people live there and a lot of people are going there. But I spent the last 10 days in the Western Cape and I must say it’s another country. And of course, the talk is independence. Should we, could we, how can we do it? Should we talk about federalism? In the evenings at the dinner table, that was the talk. No question about it.

On whether Cape Independence is a realistic outcome: 

I think one needs to start thinking, and they asked my view on independence and I said I need to sit down and study the whole issue from a financial point of view, from a political point of view, a geographical point of view and a historical point of view. So you got to know your history before you try and be smart and just blithely say ‘yes sure – we must break away and form our own country’. I mean, that’s not going to happen very quickly. But there are elements of the discussion that needs to take place. And I think it’s going to move into the middle of our political discourse, especially in the Western Cape, where you’ve got the DA who’ve said – no, they’re not interested. That’s not their policy stance. And the Freedom Front have said – we are in support of this. So there’s a very interesting dynamic at play in the Western Cape. You want the DA to be and remain in power, but they are not representing what the majority of their potential voters today are perhaps thinking. So maybe the centre has moved and the DA needs to go and do a think tank on that issue. The Freedom Front can come and pick up a lot of votes because it is something that is being discussed, it’s being canvased and there is some seriously smart people with lots of money saying we need to discuss this.

On whether the widespread looting and vandalisation has changed the dynamic of the Cape Independence discussion: 

No doubt about it. I think this thing has been bubbling under for a very, very long time. And you will recall – many, many years ago, people would drive around with bumper stickers called ‘Republic of Hout Bay’ and ‘Cape Independence’. And now that we’re not allowed to put on bumper stickers, it’s moved from the fringes almost to the centre of Western Cape politics. And after the riots in KwaZulu-Natal – the number of inquiries, the memberships of the various organisations canvasing has jumped dramatically and the support – the support has become very vocal, very outspoken.

On whether South Africa is at the point of no return: 

You can stop the line of thinking, and I think at some point they’ll have to address it in one way or the other, or it can get nasty. I mean, I’m not saying it can happen, but you don’t want it to become a violent uprising and and almost a semi military break away. That I don’t think will happen. But I think it’s not something you can just totally ignore because it is an alternative for people who are saying, ‘I do not want to leave South Africa’. But I’d like to have some kind of safety and security in the way we build our communities and our societies. If that fails, unfortunately, a great number of those well-to-do people that you spoke about will pack their bags and go.

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