Editing Secession (section)

===South Africa===
{{Main|Cape Independence|Volkstaat}}
In 1910, following the [[Boer Republics]] defeat by the [[British Empire]] in the [[Boer War]]s, four self-governing colonies in the south of Africa were merged into the [[Union of South Africa]]. The four regions were the [[Cape Colony]], [[Orange Free State]], [[Colony of Natal|Natal]] and [[Transvaal Colony|Transvaal]]. Three other territories, [[High Commissioner for Southern Africa|High Commission Territories]] of [[Bechuanaland]] (now [[Botswana]]), [[Basutoland]] (now [[Lesotho]]) and [[Swaziland]] (now Eswatini) later became independent states in the 1960s. Following the election of the [[National Party (South Africa)|Nationalist]] government in 1948, some [[English language|English-speaking]] whites in Natal advocated either secession or a loose federation.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080605195636/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,935323,00.html SOUTH AFRICA: Cry of Secession] ''[[TIME]]'', Monday, May 11, 1953</ref> There were also calls for secession, with Natal and the eastern part of the [[Cape Province]] breaking away<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WUVkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2W8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5504,1422353&dq=natal+referendum+republic&hl=en Secession Talked by Some Anti-Republicans], ''[[Saskatoon Star-Phoenix]]'', 11 October 1960</ref> following the [[1960 South African republic referendum|referendum]] in 1960 on establishing a [[republic]]. In 1993, prior to South Africa's first elections under universal suffrage and the end of apartheid, some [[Zulu people|Zulu]] leaders in [[KwaZulu-Natal]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Jtz2IXNqiR0C&dq=kwazulu+natal+secession+1993&pg=PA187 ''Launching Democracy in South Africa: The First Open Election, April 1994''], [[R. W. Johnson]], Lawrence Schlemmer, Yale University Press, 1996</ref> again considered secession as did some politicians in the Cape Province.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=xhoWjVX0TLEC&dq=Party+Wants+the+Cape+to+Secede%2C%22+Business+Day%2C+December+24%2C+1993.&pg=PA109 Party Wants the Cape to Secede"], ''[[Business Day (South Africa)|Business Day]]'', December 24, 1993.</ref>

In 2008, a political movement calling for the return to independence of the Cape resurged in the shape of the political organisation, the [[Cape Party]]. The Cape Party contested their first elections on 22 April 2009.<ref>[http://www.capeparty.com/ Cape Party Website], Monday, May 11, 1953</ref> They finished the Western Cape provincial elections in 2019 with 9,331 votes, or 0.45% of votes, gaining no seats<ref name="dash">{{Cite web |url=https://www.elections.org.za/NPEDashboard/app/dashboard.html |title=Results Dashboard| website=www.elections.org.za |access-date=2019-05-11}}</ref>

The idea gained popularity in the early half of the 2020s, with polling suggesting that 58% of Western Cape Voters want a referendum on independence in July 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Charles|first=Marvin|title=Cape Independence: Lobby group says recent survey 'places intense pressure' on DA to hold referendum|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cape-independence-lobby-group-says-recent-survey-places-intense-pressure-on-da-to-hold-referendum-20210813|access-date=2021-08-31|website=News24|language=en-US}}</ref>