South Africa
From Roach Busters
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| + | ==Politics== | ||
| + | South Africa is a unitary republic that uses the Westminster system. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Executive=== | ||
| + | ====State President==== | ||
| + | The State President is the head of state of South Africa. Although he theoretically holds vast power, in practice he is a figurehead limited to performing mainly ceremonial duties. In addition to serving as commander-in-chief of the South African Defence Force, he also has the power to: | ||
| + | |||
| + | #Dissolve the Senate or the House of Assembly, or both simultaneously; | ||
| + | #Appoint Ministers and deputies to Ministers; | ||
| + | #Confer honors; | ||
| + | #Appoint and accredit, and receive and recognize, ambassadors, plenipotentiaries, diplomatic representatives and other diplomatic officers, consuls and consular officers; | ||
| + | #Appoint the times for the holding of sessions of Parliament and prorogue Parliament | ||
| + | #Pardon or reprieve offenders, either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he may deem fit, and to remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures; | ||
| + | #To enter into and ratify international conventions, treaties, and agreements; | ||
| + | #To proclaim and terminate martial law; | ||
| + | #To declare war and make peace; | ||
| + | #To make such appointments as he may deem fit under powers conferred upon him by any law, and to exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be conferred or assigned to him by the Republic of South Africa Act or any other law | ||
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| + | The State President is elected by an electoral college consisting of the members of the Senate and the House of Assembly, at a meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of South Africa or a judge of appeal designated by him. The State President's term is seven years long, and he cannot be re-elected. | ||
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| + | In the event that the office of the State President is vacant or the State President is otherwise unable to fulfill his duties, the President of the Senate serves as Acting State President. | ||
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| + | ====Prime Minister==== | ||
| + | The Prime Minister is the head of government and is the ''de facto'' wielder of executive powers in the South African government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in a head of state. According to constitutional convention, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (which he or she heads) are accountable for their actions to Parliament, of which (by convention) they are members. The State President appoints the leader of the party which has a majority in the House of Assembly to be the Prime Minister; if no party has a majority, two or more groups may form a coalition, whose agreed leader is then appointed Prime Minister. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Parliament=== | ||
| + | The bicameral Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the South African government. It is comprised of two houses: the House of Assembly (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). | ||
| + | |||
| + | According to the Constitution, the Parliament has "full power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Republic." | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====House of Assembly==== | ||
| + | The House of Assembly consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members elected for a five-year term on the basis of a common voters’ roll. It is presided over by a Speaker, assisted by a Deputy Speaker. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The House of Assembly seats are allocated using a proportional representation system with closed lists. Voters have one vote at elections to the House of Assembly. One half of the members are allocated via regional party lists in multi-member constituencies. The other half are allocated via a national party list in one national multi-member constituency. Parties decide whether they want to set up a national and regional lists or regional lists only. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Senate==== | ||
| + | Unlike the House of Assembly, which is directly elected, most of the Senate is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of members of each of the eleven Provincial Councils and members of the House of Assembly; the remaining Senators are appointed by the State President on the advice of the Prime Minister. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Supreme Court=== | ||
| + | The judicial system is headed by the Supreme Court, the decisions and interpretations of which are considered an important source of the law. The Supreme Court comprises an Appellate Division and six provincial divisions. Each provincial division encompasses a judge president, three local divisions presided over by judges, and magisterial divisions presided over by magistrates. | ||
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| + | The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and is seated in Bloemfontein, the country's judicial capital. The Appellate Division is composed of the chief justice and the judges of appeal, whose number varies, as determined by the State President. Supreme Court members can be removed only on grounds of misbehavior or incapacity. The Appellate Division's decisions are binding on all lower courts, as are the decisions — within their areas of jurisdiction — of the provincial and the local divisions. Lower courts, which are presided over by civil service magistrates, have limited jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. | ||
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Revision as of 09:48, 24 June 2008
| Republic of South Africa | |
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| Flag | Coat of arms |
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| Motto "Ex Unitate Vires" (Latin) "From Unity, Strength" | |
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| Anthem The Call of South Africa | |
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| Capital Largest city | Cape Town (legislative) 33°55′S 18°27′E Pretoria (administrative) 25°43′S, 28°17′E Bloemfontein (judicial) 29°06′S, 26°13′E Johannesburg |
| | |
| Official languages | English |
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| Recognized regional languages | Afrikaans, German, Herero, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Oshivambo, Shona, Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| | |
| Demonym | South African |
| | |
| Government - State President - Prime Minister | Parliamentary republic Festus Mogae Josh Latimer |
| | |
| Establishment - Union - Statute of Westminster - Republic | May 31, 1910 December 11, 1931 May 31, 1961 |
| | |
| Area - Total - Water (%) | 3,954,932 km² 2,037,753 sq mi 1.4 |
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| Population - July 2008 estimate - Density | 88,958,386 20.48/km² 53.06/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita | 2007 estimate $1.854 trillion $31,072 |
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| GDP (nominal) - Total - Per capita | 2007 estimate $2.017 trillion $39,752 |
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| Gini (2005) |  40.8 (medium)
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| HDI (2007) |  0.920 (high)
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| Currency | South African rand (ZAR)
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| Time zone - Summer (DST) | WAT, SAST (UTC +1 to +2) not observed (UTC +1 to +2) |
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| Internet TLD | .za |
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| Calling code | +27 |
Contents |
Politics
South Africa is a unitary republic that uses the Westminster system.
Executive
State President
The State President is the head of state of South Africa. Although he theoretically holds vast power, in practice he is a figurehead limited to performing mainly ceremonial duties. In addition to serving as commander-in-chief of the South African Defence Force, he also has the power to:
- Dissolve the Senate or the House of Assembly, or both simultaneously;
- Appoint Ministers and deputies to Ministers;
- Confer honors;
- Appoint and accredit, and receive and recognize, ambassadors, plenipotentiaries, diplomatic representatives and other diplomatic officers, consuls and consular officers;
- Appoint the times for the holding of sessions of Parliament and prorogue Parliament
- Pardon or reprieve offenders, either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he may deem fit, and to remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures;
- To enter into and ratify international conventions, treaties, and agreements;
- To proclaim and terminate martial law;
- To declare war and make peace;
- To make such appointments as he may deem fit under powers conferred upon him by any law, and to exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be conferred or assigned to him by the Republic of South Africa Act or any other law
The State President is elected by an electoral college consisting of the members of the Senate and the House of Assembly, at a meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of South Africa or a judge of appeal designated by him. The State President's term is seven years long, and he cannot be re-elected.
In the event that the office of the State President is vacant or the State President is otherwise unable to fulfill his duties, the President of the Senate serves as Acting State President.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government and is the de facto wielder of executive powers in the South African government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in a head of state. According to constitutional convention, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (which he or she heads) are accountable for their actions to Parliament, of which (by convention) they are members. The State President appoints the leader of the party which has a majority in the House of Assembly to be the Prime Minister; if no party has a majority, two or more groups may form a coalition, whose agreed leader is then appointed Prime Minister.
Parliament
The bicameral Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the South African government. It is comprised of two houses: the House of Assembly (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house).
According to the Constitution, the Parliament has "full power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Republic."
House of Assembly
The House of Assembly consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members elected for a five-year term on the basis of a common voters’ roll. It is presided over by a Speaker, assisted by a Deputy Speaker.
The House of Assembly seats are allocated using a proportional representation system with closed lists. Voters have one vote at elections to the House of Assembly. One half of the members are allocated via regional party lists in multi-member constituencies. The other half are allocated via a national party list in one national multi-member constituency. Parties decide whether they want to set up a national and regional lists or regional lists only.
Senate
Unlike the House of Assembly, which is directly elected, most of the Senate is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of members of each of the eleven Provincial Councils and members of the House of Assembly; the remaining Senators are appointed by the State President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Supreme Court
The judicial system is headed by the Supreme Court, the decisions and interpretations of which are considered an important source of the law. The Supreme Court comprises an Appellate Division and six provincial divisions. Each provincial division encompasses a judge president, three local divisions presided over by judges, and magisterial divisions presided over by magistrates.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and is seated in Bloemfontein, the country's judicial capital. The Appellate Division is composed of the chief justice and the judges of appeal, whose number varies, as determined by the State President. Supreme Court members can be removed only on grounds of misbehavior or incapacity. The Appellate Division's decisions are binding on all lower courts, as are the decisions — within their areas of jurisdiction — of the provincial and the local divisions. Lower courts, which are presided over by civil service magistrates, have limited jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases.
United Party (centrism)
African National Congress (social democracy)
Democratic Party (conservatism)
Progressive Federal Party (centrism, moderate classical liberalism)
Shaka Party (conservatism)
Liberal Party (centrism, social progressivism)
Pan Africanist Congress (socialism, black nationalism)
National Party (conservatism, populism, protectionism, Afrikaner rights)
Democratic Socialist Movement (socialism)
Independent Democrats (centrism)
African Christian Democratic Party (Christian democracy)
South African Communist Party (Marxism-Leninism)
Economic Freedom Movement (libertarianism)
United Christian Democratic Party (conservatism, Christian democracy)
Azanian People's Organisation (socialism, black separatism)
Minority Front (centrism, minority rights)
Green Party (environmentalism)
United Democratic Movement (centrism)
New Labour Party (centrism, social democracy)
Workers International Vanguard League (Trotskyism)
Communist Party of South Africa-Marxist-Leninist (Maoism)
Socialist Party of Azania (Trotskyism, black separatism)
Conservative Party (far-right, white nationalism)
