Cross-posting from the MotF (I didn't have the time to properly finish this map or create the most accurate/fleshed-out scenario, but thought I might as well post what I have)
Constand Viljoen
Staatspresident van Suid-Afrika 1984 - 1999
Staatspresident van die Republiek Kaap 1999 - 2008
POD: The African National Congress takes a more militant approach against the Apartheid South African government. This included attacks against members of the South African Government.
In 1984, the course of South African history would be radically changed. The ANC, long fighting a war of liberation from their European oppressors, launched a decapitation strike against the Apartheid South African government (which was present at a session of Parliament in Cape Town). The attack was remarkably successful and resulted in many casualties (among them, new state president P. W. Botha). In the aftermath of the attack, many White South Africans looked for decisive leadership in an uncertain time. General Constand Viljoen, a military hero among White South Africans, took up the mantle, and was elected State President in 1984. While a supporter of Apartheid, Viljoen realized that the system could not last much longer. However, Viljoen believed there was too much ill-will between the Africans and Europeans for a lasting settlement, and advocated the establishment of a "Volkstaat" or homeland for White South Africans (Afrikaaners in particular). While the idea of adopting this Volkstaat proposal was contentious enough, determining the location this proposed homeland would raise considerable conflict. Most White South Africans wanted the homeland to include their place of residence, as many did not wish to move to a potentially unsustainable homeland. Although born in the Transvaal, Viljoen (with considerable input from various advisers) determined that the Cape would be the best location for a Volkstaat (given the state could not be economically isolated, had a lot of strategic depth, and was populated largely by Coloureds who could potentially become supporters of the Volkstaat proposal, and the ANC would be more willing to part with the Cape than the heart of South Africa). In the late 1985, Viljoen soon began to put his plan into action against considerable domestic opposition. Most of the Africans living in Cape Province (most of whom were fairly recent arrivals for economic reasons, were slowly "pushed out" of the Cape (pretty much ethnically cleansed) through a number of restrictions and forcible deportations. The South African Government began offering subsidies to encourage Whites to move to the Cape (along with a number of Coloureds, who the government hoped could fill the place of African unskilled laborers) . In an effort to boost the White population of the Cape, Viljoen opened the door to the tens of thousands of Portuguese still living in former Portuguese Africa, and after the fall of the Soviet Union, to eastern Europeans. The South African Government invested heavily in infrastructure and industry in the Cape, and even began moving a few monuments and cultural landmarks to the Cape. Many Far-Right South Africans opposed Viljoen's efforts, and there were no less than 7 assassination attempts on his life while State President. Many other groups put considerable pressure on Viljoen to stop his proposal. Nevertheless, Viljoen's "Volkstaat in the Cape" plan continued into the 1990s. While initial negotiations with the ANC were fruitless, both sides eventually reached an agreement in 1998. As part of the agreement, the Cape Province (minus Ciskei and Bopthutswana) would have a referendum on whether they wanted to remain a part of South Africa or not. Ciskei and Bopthutswana (whose borders were modified in a seperate set of agreements) would have separate referenda asking the same question. In 1999, the Cape (which was still predominantly Coloured in population) voted for Independence from South Africa (Ciskei and Bopthutswana did as well, though the fairness of the vote remains in dispute) by a margin of 8%. Viljoen, who was single-handedly responsible for the creation of the "Cape Republic" was voted its first State President in an election with Universal Franchise. Viljoen remained president until 2008. He currently resides in Cape Town.
Today, the Cape Republic has the highest standard of living in Africa, and is a fully functioning democracy with Universal suffrage. While the Cape Republic's immigration policy (favoring Whites and Coloureds, and imposing many restrictions for blacks) has been called racist by many, the country enjoys normal relations with most of its neighbors. The official languages of the Cape Republic were initially just English and Afrikaans, but Portuguese and Russian have been given official language status in recognition of the Portuguese and Russian communities living in the Cape. Demographically, the majority of the Cape Republic's inhabitants are mixed-race, but racial distinctions (outside of African) are dying off in terms of use (though there is a preference towards lighter skin similar to that in many Latin American countries). The Cape Republic has a small nuclear weapons stockpile (numbering 10-20) as a left over from the Apartheid era, though there have been recent talks about disbanding this program.
