Facts and Statistics About South African Government
Background: After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.
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Government South Africa ... Country name: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa, conventional short form: South Africa former: Union of South Africa abbreviation: RSA Government type: republic
Capital: Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and
Bloemfontein the judicial center
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State,
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape,
Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a
republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum
National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution: 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by
the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
February 1997; it is being implemented in phases
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June
1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year
term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held 24 April 2004)
head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999);
Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National
Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consisting of the National
Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system
of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the
National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of
the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers
to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural
and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the
implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former
Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces
with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations,
although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed
somewhat by the new constitution
elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last
held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC
69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%;
seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21;
National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High
Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: African Christian Democratic Party or
ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC
[Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA (formed from the
merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or FA)
[Anthony LEON]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI,
president]; New National Party or NNP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK];
Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; United
Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congress of South African Trade
Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African
Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South
African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE,
national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance
with the ANC
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607
telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Cameron H. HUME
embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048
FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag description: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue
separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the
arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a
black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow
yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band
and its arms by narrow white stripes
source http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/sf.html
