| SOUTH AFRICA Republic of South Africa Republic of South Africa Joined United Nations: 7 November 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 08/11/10 |
| CAPITALS |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Pretoria (administrative capital)
Cape Town (legislative capital)
Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
Cape Town (legislative capital)
Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
49,109,107
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Kgalema Motlanthe
Executive Deputy President
since 09 May 2009
Executive Deputy President
since 09 May 2009
President elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 6 May 2009
Next scheduled election: 2014
(eligible for a second term); election last held 6 May 2009
Next scheduled election: 2014
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
Jacob Zuma
President since 09 May 2009
President since 09 May 2009
According to the South African constitution the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
the chief of state and head of government
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)
| RELIGIONS |
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican
3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic comprised of 9 provinces; Legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; Does not
accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6
May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
Legislative: 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
are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms); note - following the
implementation of the new constitution on 4 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
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)
Judicial: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6
May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
Legislative: 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
are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms); note - following the
implementation of the new constitution on 4 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
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)
Judicial: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts
| LANGUAGES |
IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%,
Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial,
legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is 18th largest in the world; and modern
infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. At the end of
2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with
aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Growth was robust from
2004 to 2008 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom, but began
to slow in the second half of 2008 due to the global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. GDP fell
nearly 2% in 2009. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. Daunting economic
problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged
groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's former economic policy was fiscally conservative, focusing
on controlling inflation, and attaining a budget surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies,
but must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use
state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. More than one-quarter
of South Africa's population currently receives social grants.
Sources: CIA World Factbook (select South Africa)
legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is 18th largest in the world; and modern
infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. At the end of
2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with
aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Growth was robust from
2004 to 2008 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom, but began
to slow in the second half of 2008 due to the global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. GDP fell
nearly 2% in 2009. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. Daunting economic
problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged
groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's former economic policy was fiscally conservative, focusing
on controlling inflation, and attaining a budget surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies,
but must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use
state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. More than one-quarter
of South Africa's population currently receives social grants.
Sources: CIA World Factbook (select South Africa)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
The post-apartheid Government of South Africa have made remarkable progress in consolidating the nation's peaceful
transition to democracy. Programs to improve the delivery of essential social services to the majority of the population are
underway. Access to better opportunities in education and business is becoming more widespread. Nevertheless,
transforming South Africa's society to remove the legacy of apartheid will be a long-term process requiring the sustained
commitment of the leaders and people of the nation's disparate groups. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),
chaired by 1984 Nobel peace Prizewinner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, helped to advance the reconciliation
process. Constituted in 1996 and having completed its work by 2001, the TRC was empowered to investigate
apartheid-era human rights abuses committed between 1960 and 10 May 1994, to grant amnesty to those who
committed politically motivated crimes and to recommend compensation to victims of abuses. The TRC's mandate was
part of the larger process of reconciling the often conflicting political, economic, and cultural interests held by the many
peoples that make up South Africa's diverse population. The ability of the government and people to agree on many basic
questions of how to order the country's new society will remain a critical challenge. One important issue continues to be
the relationship of provincial and local administrative structures to the national government. General elections are held
every 5 years. The first fully multi-racial democratic election was held in 1994, the second in 1999, the third in 2004, and
the most recent in 2009. Until 2008, elected officials were allowed to change political party, while retaining their seats,
during set windows which occurred twice each electoral term, due to controversial floor crossing legislative amendments
made in 2002. The last two floor crossing windows were in 2005 and 2007.
After the 2009 elections, the ANC lost its two-thirds majority in the national legislature which had allowed it to unilaterally
alter the constitution.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) are in a
formal alliance with the ruling ANC, and thus do not stand separately for election.
Sources: Wikipedia: Politics of South Africa
transition to democracy. Programs to improve the delivery of essential social services to the majority of the population are
underway. Access to better opportunities in education and business is becoming more widespread. Nevertheless,
transforming South Africa's society to remove the legacy of apartheid will be a long-term process requiring the sustained
commitment of the leaders and people of the nation's disparate groups. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),
chaired by 1984 Nobel peace Prizewinner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, helped to advance the reconciliation
process. Constituted in 1996 and having completed its work by 2001, the TRC was empowered to investigate
apartheid-era human rights abuses committed between 1960 and 10 May 1994, to grant amnesty to those who
committed politically motivated crimes and to recommend compensation to victims of abuses. The TRC's mandate was
part of the larger process of reconciling the often conflicting political, economic, and cultural interests held by the many
peoples that make up South Africa's diverse population. The ability of the government and people to agree on many basic
questions of how to order the country's new society will remain a critical challenge. One important issue continues to be
the relationship of provincial and local administrative structures to the national government. General elections are held
every 5 years. The first fully multi-racial democratic election was held in 1994, the second in 1999, the third in 2004, and
the most recent in 2009. Until 2008, elected officials were allowed to change political party, while retaining their seats,
during set windows which occurred twice each electoral term, due to controversial floor crossing legislative amendments
made in 2002. The last two floor crossing windows were in 2005 and 2007.
After the 2009 elections, the ANC lost its two-thirds majority in the national legislature which had allowed it to unilaterally
alter the constitution.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) are in a
formal alliance with the ruling ANC, and thus do not stand separately for election.
Sources: Wikipedia: Politics of South Africa
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic
dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and
asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other
states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006,
Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and
asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other
states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006,
Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
Refugees (country of origin): 10,772 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 7,818 (Somalia); 5,759 (Angola) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine
and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India
through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption;
attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region
and the size of the South African economy
and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India
through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption;
attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region
and the size of the South African economy
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: South Africa
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the
parliament. The country has a population of approximately 49.3 million. On April 22, in generally free and fair national elections the
ruling African National Congress (ANC) gained 65.9 percent of the vote, and its parliamentary representation was reduced from 297
to 264 of 400 seats. Parliament then elected ANC President Jacob Zuma as the country's president. Civilian authorities generally
maintained effective control of the security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens. However, the government, nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), and local media reported the following serious human rights problems:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the
parliament. The country has a population of approximately 49.3 million. On April 22, in generally free and fair national elections the
ruling African National Congress (ANC) gained 65.9 percent of the vote, and its parliamentary representation was reduced from 297
to 264 of 400 seats. Parliament then elected ANC President Jacob Zuma as the country's president. Civilian authorities generally
maintained effective control of the security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens. However, the government, nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), and local media reported the following serious human rights problems:
- police use of excessive force against suspects and detainees, which resulted in deaths and injuries;
- vigilante and mob violence;
- abuse of prisoners, including beatings and rape and severe overcrowding of prisons;
- lengthy delays in trials and prolonged pretrial detention;
- forcible dispersal of demonstrations;
- pervasive violence against women and children and societal discrimination against women, persons with disabilities and the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; - trafficking in persons;
- violence resulting from racial and ethnic tensions and conflicts with foreigners;
- child labor, including forced child labor and child prostitution.
29 February 2008
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on
the right to non-discrimination in this context, Miloon Kothari
Addendum
MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA* **
Summary
The purpose of the mission to South Africa of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate
standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Miloon Kothari, was to examine the status of realization of
adequate housing, with particular attention to relevant programmes and policies to protect human rights relating to his mandate. The
Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of South Africa for extending him an invitation to conduct such a mission.
In his report, the Special Rapporteur acknowledges the legislative achievements of South Africa, such as the Constitution that is often
cited as an example for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights, including for the right to adequate housing. He notes that
South Africa has put in place a number of progressive legislative measures and policies aimed at fulfilling the right to adequate
housing. Yet, a significant number of South Africans do not have access to this basic human right. He observes that the realization of
the right to adequate housing in South Africa is hampered by the Government’s fragmented approach to the implementation of
housing law and policy, as well as market forces representing real estate speculation trends, and considers that urgent action must be
taken to improve access to adequate housing.
The Special Rapporteur is concerned that amendments to current legislation that prohibits unlawful evictions, as well the existence of
initiatives at the provincial level to pass new eviction-related legislation may even be in contradiction with constitutional provisions and
with the interpretation of the right to housing made by the Constitutional Court.
He was troubled throughout his visit and consultations by the situation he witnessed, particularly in some parts of the country and
with regard to informal settlement dwellers, where it was clear to the Special Rapporteur that living conditions fall far short of safe
and sustainable conditions. The Special Rapporteur also observed the problems faced by all levels of Government in providing
adequate post hoc support to new settlements, resulting from land redistribution programmes.
The Special Rapporteur visited the Limpopo Province where mining companies have large projects which have required relocation of
several communities. He believes that such projects should not be undertaken at the expense of the human rights of the individuals or
the environment, resulting in contamination of water, forced displacements or evictions, or destruction of livelihoods of the people.
The Special Rapporteur notes the positive progress made by South Africa in the area of water and electricity. However, the water
policy has faced implementation problems and pricing policies have led to supply cut-offs of low-income households for non-
payment. The Special Rapporteur believes shortage of water and the disconnections constitute a grave issue in particular for people
living with diseases, including cholera and diarrhoea, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Special Rapporteur noted that there is a critical lack of housing and support for people with special needs, marginalized people,
women (in particular indigenous communities, women with disabilities, migrant women and women with HIV/AIDS), children and the
elderly.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on
the right to non-discrimination in this context, Miloon Kothari
Addendum
MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA* **
Summary
The purpose of the mission to South Africa of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate
standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Miloon Kothari, was to examine the status of realization of
adequate housing, with particular attention to relevant programmes and policies to protect human rights relating to his mandate. The
Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of South Africa for extending him an invitation to conduct such a mission.
In his report, the Special Rapporteur acknowledges the legislative achievements of South Africa, such as the Constitution that is often
cited as an example for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights, including for the right to adequate housing. He notes that
South Africa has put in place a number of progressive legislative measures and policies aimed at fulfilling the right to adequate
housing. Yet, a significant number of South Africans do not have access to this basic human right. He observes that the realization of
the right to adequate housing in South Africa is hampered by the Government’s fragmented approach to the implementation of
housing law and policy, as well as market forces representing real estate speculation trends, and considers that urgent action must be
taken to improve access to adequate housing.
The Special Rapporteur is concerned that amendments to current legislation that prohibits unlawful evictions, as well the existence of
initiatives at the provincial level to pass new eviction-related legislation may even be in contradiction with constitutional provisions and
with the interpretation of the right to housing made by the Constitutional Court.
He was troubled throughout his visit and consultations by the situation he witnessed, particularly in some parts of the country and
with regard to informal settlement dwellers, where it was clear to the Special Rapporteur that living conditions fall far short of safe
and sustainable conditions. The Special Rapporteur also observed the problems faced by all levels of Government in providing
adequate post hoc support to new settlements, resulting from land redistribution programmes.
The Special Rapporteur visited the Limpopo Province where mining companies have large projects which have required relocation of
several communities. He believes that such projects should not be undertaken at the expense of the human rights of the individuals or
the environment, resulting in contamination of water, forced displacements or evictions, or destruction of livelihoods of the people.
The Special Rapporteur notes the positive progress made by South Africa in the area of water and electricity. However, the water
policy has faced implementation problems and pricing policies have led to supply cut-offs of low-income households for non-
payment. The Special Rapporteur believes shortage of water and the disconnections constitute a grave issue in particular for people
living with diseases, including cholera and diarrhoea, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Special Rapporteur noted that there is a critical lack of housing and support for people with special needs, marginalized people,
women (in particular indigenous communities, women with disabilities, migrant women and women with HIV/AIDS), children and the
elderly.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 2
Status: Free
Overview
Jacob Zuma, head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, faced renewed corruption charges in January 2009, but
prosecutors dropped the case just before national elections in April. The ANC easily won the vote despite competition from a splinter
party that had formed in 2008, and Zuma was elected president by the new National Assembly. Also during the year, residents
intensified demonstrations to protest the government’s slow delivery of public services including electricity, water, and housing.
While Zuma was once again charged with corruption in January 2009, head national prosecutor Mokotedi Mpshe dropped the case for
good in April, just two weeks before national elections. He argued that the timing of the 2007 charges was politically motivated, citing
wiretap evidence of conversations to that effect between top law enforcement officials, who denied Mpshe’s claims.
Despite the new competition from COPE, the ANC won another sweeping victory in the April 2009 elections, taking 65.9 percent of
the national vote (for 264 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly) and clear majorities in eight of nine provinces. The Democratic
Alliance (DA) retained its status as the largest opposition party, winning 16.7 percent of the national vote (67 seats) and outright
control of Western Cape Province. COPE won 7.4 percent (30 seats), the IFP won 4.6 percent (18 seats), and a collection of smaller
parties took the remainder. Zuma was easily elected state president by the National Assembly the following month, winning 277 of
400 votes.
Some 5.5 million South Africans, about 11 percent of the population, are infected with HIV/AIDS. A 2008 Harvard University study
claimed that 330,000 people had died between 2000 and 2005 as a result of the Mbeki government’s skepticism about the link
between HIV and AIDS, and the disease caused average life expectancy to drop from 62 in 1990 to 50 in 2007. While state-funded
access to antiretroviral drugs expanded rapidly in 2008, it slowed in 2009. In September, the AIDS Law Project reported that 40
percent of HIV-positive South Africans were not receiving treatment.
South Africa is an electoral democracy. Elections for the 400-seat National Assembly are determined by party-list proportional
representation, and the 90 members of the National Council of Provinces are selected by the provincial legislatures. The National
Assembly elects the president to serve concurrently with its five-year term.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 2
Status: Free
Overview
Jacob Zuma, head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, faced renewed corruption charges in January 2009, but
prosecutors dropped the case just before national elections in April. The ANC easily won the vote despite competition from a splinter
party that had formed in 2008, and Zuma was elected president by the new National Assembly. Also during the year, residents
intensified demonstrations to protest the government’s slow delivery of public services including electricity, water, and housing.
While Zuma was once again charged with corruption in January 2009, head national prosecutor Mokotedi Mpshe dropped the case for
good in April, just two weeks before national elections. He argued that the timing of the 2007 charges was politically motivated, citing
wiretap evidence of conversations to that effect between top law enforcement officials, who denied Mpshe’s claims.
Despite the new competition from COPE, the ANC won another sweeping victory in the April 2009 elections, taking 65.9 percent of
the national vote (for 264 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly) and clear majorities in eight of nine provinces. The Democratic
Alliance (DA) retained its status as the largest opposition party, winning 16.7 percent of the national vote (67 seats) and outright
control of Western Cape Province. COPE won 7.4 percent (30 seats), the IFP won 4.6 percent (18 seats), and a collection of smaller
parties took the remainder. Zuma was easily elected state president by the National Assembly the following month, winning 277 of
400 votes.
Some 5.5 million South Africans, about 11 percent of the population, are infected with HIV/AIDS. A 2008 Harvard University study
claimed that 330,000 people had died between 2000 and 2005 as a result of the Mbeki government’s skepticism about the link
between HIV and AIDS, and the disease caused average life expectancy to drop from 62 in 1990 to 50 in 2007. While state-funded
access to antiretroviral drugs expanded rapidly in 2008, it slowed in 2009. In September, the AIDS Law Project reported that 40
percent of HIV-positive South Africans were not receiving treatment.
South Africa is an electoral democracy. Elections for the 400-seat National Assembly are determined by party-list proportional
representation, and the 90 members of the National Council of Provinces are selected by the provincial legislatures. The National
Assembly elects the president to serve concurrently with its five-year term.
Click here to read more »
Human rights concerns in South Africa during the World Cup
11 June 2010
There has been an increase in police harassment of informal traders (hawkers), homeless South Africans, and refugees and migrants
who are living in shelters or high density inner city accommodation.
This harassment has included police raids, arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment and extortion, as well as destruction of informal housing.
The tearing down of informal housing has taken place without prior notice, provision of adequate alternative housing or compensation
and in violation of domestic law prohibiting forced evictions.
Regulations created to comply with FIFA World Cup requirements in host cities are being used by police to expel homeless people and
street traders from "controlled access sites" and exclusion zones around World Cup venues. Penalties for offences under the
regulations include fines of up to Rand 10,000 (US$1,300) or imprisonment of up to six months.
In May 2010 hawkers protested outside the local FIFA operations centre in Soweto calling for an end to evictions and the disruption
of their means of livelihood near soccer stadiums.
Elsewhere tense confrontations have occurred between police and street traders, over seizures of street traders' goods, in the name of
cleaning up the streets for the World Cup.
Xenophobic violence
In the first five months of 2010 at least eleven incidents were recorded in five provinces involving violent attacks and looting of
shops, particularly of Somali and Ethiopian nationals.
This violence has often been linked to public protests over corruption and failures of local government to deliver basic services in poor
neighbourhoods.
Migrants and refugees are perceived by some as competing for jobs, housing and economic opportunities, and become targets of
violence during the protests. However xenophobic attitudes also fuel the violence and appear to underlie the local police failure to
respond swiftly or, in a few cases, to connive with the perpetrators of the violence. Access to justice and compensation for the
victims has also proven very difficult.
In early June the government responded to appeals from South African civil society, Amnesty International and others to give urgent
attention to the indications of possible large-scale xenophobic violence, including threats made to refugees and migrants that, "after
the World Cup" they will be driven out again from their neighbourhoods or the country.
Click here to read more »
11 June 2010
There has been an increase in police harassment of informal traders (hawkers), homeless South Africans, and refugees and migrants
who are living in shelters or high density inner city accommodation.
This harassment has included police raids, arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment and extortion, as well as destruction of informal housing.
The tearing down of informal housing has taken place without prior notice, provision of adequate alternative housing or compensation
and in violation of domestic law prohibiting forced evictions.
Regulations created to comply with FIFA World Cup requirements in host cities are being used by police to expel homeless people and
street traders from "controlled access sites" and exclusion zones around World Cup venues. Penalties for offences under the
regulations include fines of up to Rand 10,000 (US$1,300) or imprisonment of up to six months.
In May 2010 hawkers protested outside the local FIFA operations centre in Soweto calling for an end to evictions and the disruption
of their means of livelihood near soccer stadiums.
Elsewhere tense confrontations have occurred between police and street traders, over seizures of street traders' goods, in the name of
cleaning up the streets for the World Cup.
Xenophobic violence
In the first five months of 2010 at least eleven incidents were recorded in five provinces involving violent attacks and looting of
shops, particularly of Somali and Ethiopian nationals.
This violence has often been linked to public protests over corruption and failures of local government to deliver basic services in poor
neighbourhoods.
Migrants and refugees are perceived by some as competing for jobs, housing and economic opportunities, and become targets of
violence during the protests. However xenophobic attitudes also fuel the violence and appear to underlie the local police failure to
respond swiftly or, in a few cases, to connive with the perpetrators of the violence. Access to justice and compensation for the
victims has also proven very difficult.
In early June the government responded to appeals from South African civil society, Amnesty International and others to give urgent
attention to the indications of possible large-scale xenophobic violence, including threats made to refugees and migrants that, "after
the World Cup" they will be driven out again from their neighbourhoods or the country.
Click here to read more »
The HIV and TB Prison Crisis in Southern Africa
by Joseph Amon
Published in: The Huffington Post
July 23, 2010
In 1988, while Nelson Mandela was in prison, he contracted tuberculosis (TB). TB is common in prisons, with overcrowded cells and
poor ventilation facilitating transmission. Mandela is now long free, but TB remains a threat to all prisoners - and to all South Africans.
South Africa has one of the worst TB rates in the world, and in 2008 reported over 6,000 cases of multi-drug-resistant TB.
Prevalence of TB in overcrowded prisons mirrors that of overcrowded communities and the failure to address TB in one setting
jeopardizes efforts to combat TB in the other. The maxim, "good prison health is good community health" highlights the fact that
prisoners - and prison officials - return to their communities daily, making the idea of a separation of prison and public health
concerns a myth.
In April, Human Rights Watch, the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, and the Prisons Care and Counselling Association
released a report detailing prison health conditions in Zambia. Even more than in South Africa, Zambian prisons are facing a crisis of
overcrowding and poor health conditions. In compiling our report, we spoke with almost 250 prisoners. They described to us the
terrible conditions in which they live: Prisons are so overcrowded that inmates sometimes sleep in shifts, or seated. Corporal
punishment is common. Food is inadequate, and prisoners with HIV and TB have difficulty taking medications because of their
hunger. In many prisons, prisoners are given no soap to wash themselves, nor clothes to wear.
The threat of TB and drug-resistant TB are all the more crucial given the high HIV prevalence in southern African prisons, and in the
general population. HIV prevalence in the region's prisons has been estimated to be between 2 and 50 times that outside of prisons. In
Zambia, it was last measured at 27 percent, almost double the prevalence of adults in Zambia overall. The combination of high HIV
and TB prevalence in prisons can be deadly: Worldwide, TB is responsible for nearly one in four deaths from AIDS.
In South Africa, the recently announced national voluntary HIV counseling, testing and treatment campaign should support expanded
HIV/TB testing and treatment in prisons. But HIV and TB in South Africa's prisons cannot be tackled only by improved HIV and TB
programs. Prison overcrowding must be addressed by greater financial investment and by reforming the criminal justice system. The
frequent use of pretrial detention and lack of affordable bail contribute to overcrowding and its negative effect on prison health.
At the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok in 2004, Mandela urged the world to extend the fight against HIV to include
efforts against tuberculosis. "We cannot win the battle against AIDS if we do not also fight TB." The 18th International AIDS
Conference ends today, yet we still are not doing enough to address HIV or TB in prisons - or the criminal justice system failures that
exacerbate the spread of both diseases. For South Africa to succeed in the fight against HIV and TB, improving prison programs and
ensuring access to justice, is critical.
Click here to read more »
by Joseph Amon
Published in: The Huffington Post
July 23, 2010
In 1988, while Nelson Mandela was in prison, he contracted tuberculosis (TB). TB is common in prisons, with overcrowded cells and
poor ventilation facilitating transmission. Mandela is now long free, but TB remains a threat to all prisoners - and to all South Africans.
South Africa has one of the worst TB rates in the world, and in 2008 reported over 6,000 cases of multi-drug-resistant TB.
Prevalence of TB in overcrowded prisons mirrors that of overcrowded communities and the failure to address TB in one setting
jeopardizes efforts to combat TB in the other. The maxim, "good prison health is good community health" highlights the fact that
prisoners - and prison officials - return to their communities daily, making the idea of a separation of prison and public health
concerns a myth.
In April, Human Rights Watch, the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, and the Prisons Care and Counselling Association
released a report detailing prison health conditions in Zambia. Even more than in South Africa, Zambian prisons are facing a crisis of
overcrowding and poor health conditions. In compiling our report, we spoke with almost 250 prisoners. They described to us the
terrible conditions in which they live: Prisons are so overcrowded that inmates sometimes sleep in shifts, or seated. Corporal
punishment is common. Food is inadequate, and prisoners with HIV and TB have difficulty taking medications because of their
hunger. In many prisons, prisoners are given no soap to wash themselves, nor clothes to wear.
The threat of TB and drug-resistant TB are all the more crucial given the high HIV prevalence in southern African prisons, and in the
general population. HIV prevalence in the region's prisons has been estimated to be between 2 and 50 times that outside of prisons. In
Zambia, it was last measured at 27 percent, almost double the prevalence of adults in Zambia overall. The combination of high HIV
and TB prevalence in prisons can be deadly: Worldwide, TB is responsible for nearly one in four deaths from AIDS.
In South Africa, the recently announced national voluntary HIV counseling, testing and treatment campaign should support expanded
HIV/TB testing and treatment in prisons. But HIV and TB in South Africa's prisons cannot be tackled only by improved HIV and TB
programs. Prison overcrowding must be addressed by greater financial investment and by reforming the criminal justice system. The
frequent use of pretrial detention and lack of affordable bail contribute to overcrowding and its negative effect on prison health.
At the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok in 2004, Mandela urged the world to extend the fight against HIV to include
efforts against tuberculosis. "We cannot win the battle against AIDS if we do not also fight TB." The 18th International AIDS
Conference ends today, yet we still are not doing enough to address HIV or TB in prisons - or the criminal justice system failures that
exacerbate the spread of both diseases. For South Africa to succeed in the fight against HIV and TB, improving prison programs and
ensuring access to justice, is critical.
Click here to read more »
Statement by H.E. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South
Africa on the occasion of the Inauguaral Nelson Mandela International Day Celebration, held during the Informal meeting
of the United Nations General Assembly.
16 July 2010
Madame President,
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly in his capacity as the first President of free South Africa in October 1994,
Nelson Mandela stated that, (I quote) "Our political emancipation has brought into sharp focus the urgent need to engage in a struggle
to secure our people from freedom from want, hunger and from ignorance." (close quote)
My delegation is therefore again honoured to address this body on the occasion of giving effect to the resolution that pays tribute to
Nelson Mandela's legacy.
In the next two days - on 18 July 2009 - millions of people from across the globe will come together to give 67 minutes of their time
to community service, their actions being inspired by the life's work of Nelson Mandela.
In South Africa, Mandela is known as a symbol of a nation's struggle for social, economic, and political rights for all. These values
for which Mandela lived and was even prepared to die are the foundations of the Charter of the United Nations.
In this regard, on behalf of President Jacob Zuma and the people of South Africa, I wish to thank the General Assembly for the
adoption of its resolution which declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the immense contribution Mr.
Mandela made in advancing the cause of justice, peace and development.
This is not only an honour for the people of South Africa. It is also an unequivocal affirmation of the positive role of the United
Nations as a champion and advocate for the cause of the poor and the needy.
South Africa and indeed the world are fortunate to have a person like Nelson Mandela to have sown the seed of change. It was
through his -, and many others' - endless tireless and courageous efforts and commitment that today every South African can live in a
free South Africa.
Through the Mandela Day initiative, individuals are called upon to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place - to
make everyday a Mandela Day!
Indeed, the United Nations can claim our freedom from apartheid like any South African. This august body was in the forefront of the
international campaign against apartheid. It was by our side, every step of the way, in our determination to rid our country of the
monster of apartheid and all what it represented.
We will never forget the role played by the international community, in unison, to bring about the demise of apartheid.
Click here to read more »
Africa on the occasion of the Inauguaral Nelson Mandela International Day Celebration, held during the Informal meeting
of the United Nations General Assembly.
16 July 2010
Madame President,
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly in his capacity as the first President of free South Africa in October 1994,
Nelson Mandela stated that, (I quote) "Our political emancipation has brought into sharp focus the urgent need to engage in a struggle
to secure our people from freedom from want, hunger and from ignorance." (close quote)
My delegation is therefore again honoured to address this body on the occasion of giving effect to the resolution that pays tribute to
Nelson Mandela's legacy.
In the next two days - on 18 July 2009 - millions of people from across the globe will come together to give 67 minutes of their time
to community service, their actions being inspired by the life's work of Nelson Mandela.
In South Africa, Mandela is known as a symbol of a nation's struggle for social, economic, and political rights for all. These values
for which Mandela lived and was even prepared to die are the foundations of the Charter of the United Nations.
In this regard, on behalf of President Jacob Zuma and the people of South Africa, I wish to thank the General Assembly for the
adoption of its resolution which declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the immense contribution Mr.
Mandela made in advancing the cause of justice, peace and development.
This is not only an honour for the people of South Africa. It is also an unequivocal affirmation of the positive role of the United
Nations as a champion and advocate for the cause of the poor and the needy.
South Africa and indeed the world are fortunate to have a person like Nelson Mandela to have sown the seed of change. It was
through his -, and many others' - endless tireless and courageous efforts and commitment that today every South African can live in a
free South Africa.
Through the Mandela Day initiative, individuals are called upon to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place - to
make everyday a Mandela Day!
Indeed, the United Nations can claim our freedom from apartheid like any South African. This august body was in the forefront of the
international campaign against apartheid. It was by our side, every step of the way, in our determination to rid our country of the
monster of apartheid and all what it represented.
We will never forget the role played by the international community, in unison, to bring about the demise of apartheid.
Click here to read more »
SAHRC welcomes Reitz 4 verdict
July 30 2010 at 05:02PM
The SA Human Rights Commission on Friday welcomed the verdict in the crimen injuria trial of four former University of the Free
State students, known as the Reitz Four.
SAHRC spokesman Vincent Moaga said the commission took note of the sentences of R20 000 each or 12 months imprisonment by
the Bloemfontein Regional Court.
Chief Magistrate Mziwonke Hinxa sentenced the men to a further six months imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on certain
conditions.
RC Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges of crimen injuria for
humiliating five black workers in an initiation-type ceremony in 2007, while living at the University's now closed Reitz men's residence.
The four young men filmed the "ceremony".
Moaga said the commission welcomed the fact that the accused have acknowledged and apologised for the wrongfulness of their
actions.
He said the criminal trial have no bearing on the Equality Court proceedings that have been instituted by the commission on behalf of
the complainants.
"While the State was obliged to prosecute the four accused, such action did not prevent the complainants, assisted by the
commission, from seeking civil redress and appropriate relief in the Equality Court," said Moaga in a statement.
He said the sentencing of the criminal court would have no affect on the proceeding in the Equality Court.
The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) also welcomed the conclusion to the criminal procedures on the incident.
"The attention drawn by the incident probably caused much more damage to the country than the ill-considered act of the students,"
said CDP leader Theunis Botha.
He said the fines, despite the diminished grounds of guilt, should send out a message that the courts were sensitive to issues that could
cause inter-racial friction.
Click here to read more »
July 30 2010 at 05:02PM
The SA Human Rights Commission on Friday welcomed the verdict in the crimen injuria trial of four former University of the Free
State students, known as the Reitz Four.
SAHRC spokesman Vincent Moaga said the commission took note of the sentences of R20 000 each or 12 months imprisonment by
the Bloemfontein Regional Court.
Chief Magistrate Mziwonke Hinxa sentenced the men to a further six months imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on certain
conditions.
RC Malherbe, Johnny Roberts, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie Grobler on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges of crimen injuria for
humiliating five black workers in an initiation-type ceremony in 2007, while living at the University's now closed Reitz men's residence.
The four young men filmed the "ceremony".
Moaga said the commission welcomed the fact that the accused have acknowledged and apologised for the wrongfulness of their
actions.
He said the criminal trial have no bearing on the Equality Court proceedings that have been instituted by the commission on behalf of
the complainants.
"While the State was obliged to prosecute the four accused, such action did not prevent the complainants, assisted by the
commission, from seeking civil redress and appropriate relief in the Equality Court," said Moaga in a statement.
He said the sentencing of the criminal court would have no affect on the proceeding in the Equality Court.
The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) also welcomed the conclusion to the criminal procedures on the incident.
"The attention drawn by the incident probably caused much more damage to the country than the ill-considered act of the students,"
said CDP leader Theunis Botha.
He said the fines, despite the diminished grounds of guilt, should send out a message that the courts were sensitive to issues that could
cause inter-racial friction.
Click here to read more »
Public Protector calls on state to be responsive to the needs of victims of gender based violence
05 August 2010
Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela, has called on state organs within the criminal justice value chain to effectively play their part
to ensure that victims of gender based violence get the assistance they are entitled to.
The Public Protector was opening a two-week exhibition titled “Brick Wall: Rape and the Criminal Justice System”, which depicts
obstacles faced by rape victims as a result of service failures within the criminal justice system in Johannesburg last night. She said
victims were often subjected to a maze of red tape, which resulted in unreported or withdrawn cases.
“The state has a duty to protect women and girls by preventing preventable harm and when harm has occurred, the state must care
for victims and their families as well as effectively prosecute perpetrators,” she said.
However, the Public Protector pointed out that the criminal justice value chain often fails victims with the impact of not only
subjecting them to secondary victimization but also denying them justice and human dignity. She added that in such instances of
service and conduct failure her office comes in to right the administrative wrongs of the state.
Quoting statistics from the study titled “Tracking Justice: The Attrition of Rape Cases Through the Criminal Justice System in
Gauteng”, the Public Protector highlighted the plight of victims of gender based violence.
The study which was conducted by Tshwaraganang Legal Advocacy Centre (TLAC) -the organizer of the exhibition- focused on
about 70 police stations in Gauteng only, sampling over 2000 rape cases.
Among other things, the study found that half of the cases sampled resulted in arrest but only 42.8 percent of the perpetrators were
charged; police closed 45 percent of the cases; and that in more than half the cases closed by police, perpetrators could not be
identified.
The study also found that descriptions of perpetrators were absent from more than three quarters of the victims’ statements and that
in more than half the dockets, instructions had to be issued twice or more before investigating officers complied.
The Public Protector also referred to cases of lost dockets at police stations as well as bungled medical examinations at public
hospitals and clinics as some of the unfortunate occurrences that worsen the problem.
While Women’s Month reminds society of the sacrifices made by women in the past, the Public Protector said it also brought to mind
the fact that the struggle for women’s rights and gender equality was far from over.
She applauded the TLAC for its advocacy work and invited leaders within the criminal justice system to view the exhibition in order to
gain valuable insight into the plight of rape victims, who try to get justice.
The Public Protector also urged stakeholders in the state and the civil society to work closely with her office to ensure that the state
serves women and victims or survivors of gender based violence with accountability, integrity and responsiveness.
Click here to read more »
05 August 2010
Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela, has called on state organs within the criminal justice value chain to effectively play their part
to ensure that victims of gender based violence get the assistance they are entitled to.
The Public Protector was opening a two-week exhibition titled “Brick Wall: Rape and the Criminal Justice System”, which depicts
obstacles faced by rape victims as a result of service failures within the criminal justice system in Johannesburg last night. She said
victims were often subjected to a maze of red tape, which resulted in unreported or withdrawn cases.
“The state has a duty to protect women and girls by preventing preventable harm and when harm has occurred, the state must care
for victims and their families as well as effectively prosecute perpetrators,” she said.
However, the Public Protector pointed out that the criminal justice value chain often fails victims with the impact of not only
subjecting them to secondary victimization but also denying them justice and human dignity. She added that in such instances of
service and conduct failure her office comes in to right the administrative wrongs of the state.
Quoting statistics from the study titled “Tracking Justice: The Attrition of Rape Cases Through the Criminal Justice System in
Gauteng”, the Public Protector highlighted the plight of victims of gender based violence.
The study which was conducted by Tshwaraganang Legal Advocacy Centre (TLAC) -the organizer of the exhibition- focused on
about 70 police stations in Gauteng only, sampling over 2000 rape cases.
Among other things, the study found that half of the cases sampled resulted in arrest but only 42.8 percent of the perpetrators were
charged; police closed 45 percent of the cases; and that in more than half the cases closed by police, perpetrators could not be
identified.
The study also found that descriptions of perpetrators were absent from more than three quarters of the victims’ statements and that
in more than half the dockets, instructions had to be issued twice or more before investigating officers complied.
The Public Protector also referred to cases of lost dockets at police stations as well as bungled medical examinations at public
hospitals and clinics as some of the unfortunate occurrences that worsen the problem.
While Women’s Month reminds society of the sacrifices made by women in the past, the Public Protector said it also brought to mind
the fact that the struggle for women’s rights and gender equality was far from over.
She applauded the TLAC for its advocacy work and invited leaders within the criminal justice system to view the exhibition in order to
gain valuable insight into the plight of rape victims, who try to get justice.
The Public Protector also urged stakeholders in the state and the civil society to work closely with her office to ensure that the state
serves women and victims or survivors of gender based violence with accountability, integrity and responsiveness.
Click here to read more »
Ape-like hominids who migrated to South Africa around 3 million years ago became the first human-like inhabitants of the
area now known as South Africa. Representatives of homo erectus gradually replaced them around a million years ago
when they also spread across Africa and into Europe and Asia. Homo erectus gave way to homo sapiens around
100,000 years ago. The first homo sapiens formed the Bushman culture of skilled hunter-gatherers. South Africa prior to
the emergence of modern humans (Homo sapiens) remains shrouded in mystery. A major archaeological find in 1998 at
Sterkfontein near Johannesburg revealed that hominids roamed across the Highveld at least three million years ago. About
a million years ago, Homo erectus had emerged and ranged well beyond Africa, leaving traces in Europe and in Asia.
Somewhere around 100,000 years ago, modern man replaced the hominids. Although archaeologists continue to debate
the details, fossils found near the mouth of the Klasies River in Eastern Cape Province indicate that Homo sapiens may
have lived in South Africa as early as 100,000 years ago. The Bushmen probably became the first modern people to
migrate to the southern tip of the African continent. Skilled hunter-gatherers and nomads, the Bushmen had great respect
for the land, and their lifestyle had low environmental impact, allowing them to sustain their way of life for years without
leaving much archaeological evidence. Other than a series of striking rock paintings, the Bushmen left few traces of their
early culture. Attempts to analyse the existing samples by radiocarbon dating indicate that the Bushmen lived in the area of
modern-day South Africa at least as early as 25,000 years ago, and possibly as early as 40,000 years ago. Small
numbers of Bushmen still live in South Africa today, making their culture one of the oldest continuously existing in the
world, along with that of the Indigenous Australians. European explorers "discovered" South Africa as a direct result of
European countries' rivalry with each other for dominance and the subsequent need for wealth which lead to the efforts to
"discover" (by exploration) sea routes to trade with Asia and the Far East during the Age of Discovery. Far-off places,
whether they became colonies or not, were regarded as sources for raw materials to be processed or enjoyed by
Europeans. It had been Portugal in the Age of Discovery that sent Bartolomeu Dias sailing southwards in the Atlantic
Ocean (in those days sailing ship tried to stay close to the coast of Western Africa as they did so) looking for a route to
India. Dias sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa into the Southern Indian Ocean, in 1488, the
first European known to do so since ancient times. Dias did not settle in South Africa but took back a report that the
Cape could be rounded. It was Vasco da Gama who was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India during
1497-1499. Sir Francis Drake rounded the Cape of Good Hope, in 1580 in his ship the Golden Hind. Drake was so
enchanted by Table Mountain in the bay of what is today Cape Town, that he is reputed to have declared, that "No
longer shall this be called the Cape of Storms, for it is the fairest Cape of them all." The Cape was known as "The Cape
of Storms" because it was so dangerous for sailing ships, and it was only by 1652 that the Dutch finally saw fit to set up a
permanent station at the Cape of Good Hope (it was not even a colony, just a station to supply passing ships with fresh
water and vegetables.) This "supply depot" that was set up by the Dutch developed into the Cape Colony over the next
two hundred years. The British seized the Cape Colony from the Dutch at the end of the 18th century because they feared
French fleets would take control following Napoleon's victories over much of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom
invaded and occupied the Cape Colony in 1795 ("The First Occupation") but relinquished control of the territory in 1803.
However, British forces returned on January 19, 1806 and occupied the Cape once again ("The Second Occupation").
The territory was ceded to the UK in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 and was henceforth administered as the Cape
Colony. It remained a British colony until incorporated into the independent Union of South Africa in 1910, now known
as the Republic of South Africa. The Dutch (by then known as Boers) and the British went to war twice in the
Anglo-Boer Wars in the late 1800s, which ended in the defeat of the Boers and of their independent republics. The Cape
Colony, Natal and the two Boer republics united in 1910 as the Union of South Africa. The Boer republics did not grant
Black people suffrage, and the rights of Black, Coloured, and Asian people continued to erode in the Union. The National
Party came to power (1948), on a platform of racial discrimination which became known as apartheid. As a rising tide of
national liberation grew in the Third World receiving support, arms, and training from the newly dominant Soviet Union
and the People's Republic of China, South Africa's Blacks demanded freedom and political rights that white South Africa
had not granted them. Instead, the Afrikaner-dominated government answered with increased Apartheid policies which
then became deeply entrenched in South African society, despite continued resistance. When Commonwealth nations
began to threaten South Africa with economic and political sanctions, white South Africa headed by Prime Minister HF
Verwoerd decided to leave the commonwealth, and chose to become a republic in 1961, with its own State President
CR Swart. This was the first time that there was a South African president in sixty years, since the days of the old
Transvaal South African Republic when President Paul Kruger was exiled by the British in 1900. The African National
Congress offered the most active black-run opposition to apartheid, and after two decades of racial oppression and
increasing economic pressures, the government of F.W. de Klerk dismantled the apartheid system in 1992. The first
fully-inclusive election, in which blacks from the entire South Africa could vote, took place in 1994, electing Nelson
Mandela as President. South Africa now sees itself as a multiracial democracy.
Sources: Wikipedia: History of South Africa
area now known as South Africa. Representatives of homo erectus gradually replaced them around a million years ago
when they also spread across Africa and into Europe and Asia. Homo erectus gave way to homo sapiens around
100,000 years ago. The first homo sapiens formed the Bushman culture of skilled hunter-gatherers. South Africa prior to
the emergence of modern humans (Homo sapiens) remains shrouded in mystery. A major archaeological find in 1998 at
Sterkfontein near Johannesburg revealed that hominids roamed across the Highveld at least three million years ago. About
a million years ago, Homo erectus had emerged and ranged well beyond Africa, leaving traces in Europe and in Asia.
Somewhere around 100,000 years ago, modern man replaced the hominids. Although archaeologists continue to debate
the details, fossils found near the mouth of the Klasies River in Eastern Cape Province indicate that Homo sapiens may
have lived in South Africa as early as 100,000 years ago. The Bushmen probably became the first modern people to
migrate to the southern tip of the African continent. Skilled hunter-gatherers and nomads, the Bushmen had great respect
for the land, and their lifestyle had low environmental impact, allowing them to sustain their way of life for years without
leaving much archaeological evidence. Other than a series of striking rock paintings, the Bushmen left few traces of their
early culture. Attempts to analyse the existing samples by radiocarbon dating indicate that the Bushmen lived in the area of
modern-day South Africa at least as early as 25,000 years ago, and possibly as early as 40,000 years ago. Small
numbers of Bushmen still live in South Africa today, making their culture one of the oldest continuously existing in the
world, along with that of the Indigenous Australians. European explorers "discovered" South Africa as a direct result of
European countries' rivalry with each other for dominance and the subsequent need for wealth which lead to the efforts to
"discover" (by exploration) sea routes to trade with Asia and the Far East during the Age of Discovery. Far-off places,
whether they became colonies or not, were regarded as sources for raw materials to be processed or enjoyed by
Europeans. It had been Portugal in the Age of Discovery that sent Bartolomeu Dias sailing southwards in the Atlantic
Ocean (in those days sailing ship tried to stay close to the coast of Western Africa as they did so) looking for a route to
India. Dias sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa into the Southern Indian Ocean, in 1488, the
first European known to do so since ancient times. Dias did not settle in South Africa but took back a report that the
Cape could be rounded. It was Vasco da Gama who was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India during
1497-1499. Sir Francis Drake rounded the Cape of Good Hope, in 1580 in his ship the Golden Hind. Drake was so
enchanted by Table Mountain in the bay of what is today Cape Town, that he is reputed to have declared, that "No
longer shall this be called the Cape of Storms, for it is the fairest Cape of them all." The Cape was known as "The Cape
of Storms" because it was so dangerous for sailing ships, and it was only by 1652 that the Dutch finally saw fit to set up a
permanent station at the Cape of Good Hope (it was not even a colony, just a station to supply passing ships with fresh
water and vegetables.) This "supply depot" that was set up by the Dutch developed into the Cape Colony over the next
two hundred years. The British seized the Cape Colony from the Dutch at the end of the 18th century because they feared
French fleets would take control following Napoleon's victories over much of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom
invaded and occupied the Cape Colony in 1795 ("The First Occupation") but relinquished control of the territory in 1803.
However, British forces returned on January 19, 1806 and occupied the Cape once again ("The Second Occupation").
The territory was ceded to the UK in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 and was henceforth administered as the Cape
Colony. It remained a British colony until incorporated into the independent Union of South Africa in 1910, now known
as the Republic of South Africa. The Dutch (by then known as Boers) and the British went to war twice in the
Anglo-Boer Wars in the late 1800s, which ended in the defeat of the Boers and of their independent republics. The Cape
Colony, Natal and the two Boer republics united in 1910 as the Union of South Africa. The Boer republics did not grant
Black people suffrage, and the rights of Black, Coloured, and Asian people continued to erode in the Union. The National
Party came to power (1948), on a platform of racial discrimination which became known as apartheid. As a rising tide of
national liberation grew in the Third World receiving support, arms, and training from the newly dominant Soviet Union
and the People's Republic of China, South Africa's Blacks demanded freedom and political rights that white South Africa
had not granted them. Instead, the Afrikaner-dominated government answered with increased Apartheid policies which
then became deeply entrenched in South African society, despite continued resistance. When Commonwealth nations
began to threaten South Africa with economic and political sanctions, white South Africa headed by Prime Minister HF
Verwoerd decided to leave the commonwealth, and chose to become a republic in 1961, with its own State President
CR Swart. This was the first time that there was a South African president in sixty years, since the days of the old
Transvaal South African Republic when President Paul Kruger was exiled by the British in 1900. The African National
Congress offered the most active black-run opposition to apartheid, and after two decades of racial oppression and
increasing economic pressures, the government of F.W. de Klerk dismantled the apartheid system in 1992. The first
fully-inclusive election, in which blacks from the entire South Africa could vote, took place in 1994, electing Nelson
Mandela as President. South Africa now sees itself as a multiracial democracy.
Sources: Wikipedia: History of South Africa
Click on map for larger view
Click on flag for Country Report
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
