South Africa's PoliticsThe Flag:the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"
Conventional Long Form Name:Republic of South Africa Capital Cities:Pretoria (administrative capital);Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital) Type of Government:Republic National Holidays:Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) Date of Independence:31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State) Chief of State:President Jacob Zuma South African Ambassador:Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool
Location of Embassy:Washington D.C Location of Consulate:Washington D.C U.S.A Ambassador to South Africa:Donald Gips Location of U.S. Embassy:Pretoria Location of Consulte(s):Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban National Symbol:springbok antelope |
Head of Government:President Jacob Zuma
Executive Branch powers:Ministers are Members of Parliament who are appointed by the President to head the various departments of the national government. The ministers individually, and the Cabinet collectively, are accountable to Parliament for their actions Legislative Branch Powers:bicameral Parliament consisting of 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) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) Judicial Branch Powers:Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts. The judicial branch interprets the laws, using as a basis the laws as enacted and explanatory statements made in the Legislature during the enactment. Sufferage:18 years of age; universal United Nations Representatives:Baso Sangqu |