History UsefulNotes / SouthAfrica

The Republic of South Africa[[labelnote:(click here for the official names in its eleven other official languages)]]Zulu: ''iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika'', Xhosa: ''iRiphabhlikhi yoMzantsi Afrika'', Afrikaans: ''Republiek van Suid-Afrika'', Pedi: ''Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa'', Southern Sotho: ''Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa'', Tswana: ''Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa'', Tsonga: ''Riphabliki ya Afrika Dzonga'', Swati: ''iRiphabhulikhi yaseNingizimu-Afrika'', Venda: ''Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe'', Southern Ndebele: ''iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika'', SASL: [[https://africansignlanguagesresourcecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Pasted-Graphic-2.jpg name sign for "South Africa"]] [[/labelnote]] is a Southern UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}n country situated at the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin southern tip of Africa]] and comprises nine provinces. Bordering on UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Eswatini}}[[note]]formerly and possibly better known as Swaziland - indeed, see map view to right...[[/note]], and completely surrounding UsefulNotes/{{Lesotho}}, it formed part of the British Commonwealth until it became a republic in 1961, but continued to implement the segregationist laws collectively known as the Apartheid system until 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected president in the country's first democratic elections. Its capital cities are Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town, which are recognized respectively as the executive, judicial and legislative capitals (i.e., a separate city for each branch of government). [[note]] Contrary to popular belief, Johannesburg is not a national capital, but the capital of Gauteng Province and the seat of the Constitutional Court. It is, however, very close to Pretoria. Incidentally, Bloemfontein is considered the "judicial capital" because it is the seat of the former Appellate Division, which had been the country's highest court from 1910 to 1994. The Constitutional Court became the highest court on constitutional matters in 1994, at which time the Appellate Division took its current name of the Supreme Court of Appeal. In 2013, the SCA became an intermediate appellate court when the Constitutional Court's jurisdiction was expanded to all matters.[[/note]]

The Republic of South Africa[[labelnote:(click here for the official names in its eleven other official languages)]]Zulu: ''iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika'', Xhosa: ''iRiphabhlikhi yoMzantsi Afrika'', Afrikaans: ''Republiek van Suid-Afrika'', Pedi: ''Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa'', Southern Sotho: ''Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa'', Tswana: ''Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa'', Tsonga: ''Riphabliki ya Afrika Dzonga'', Swati: ''iRiphabhulikhi yaseNingizimu-Afrika'', Venda: ''Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe'', Southern Ndebele: ''iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika'', SASL: [[https://africansignlanguagesresourcecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Pasted-Graphic-2.jpg name sign for "South Africa"]] [[/labelnote]] is a Southern UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}n country situated at the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin southern tip of Africa]] and comprises nine provinces. Bordering on UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Eswatini}}[[note]]formerly and possibly better known as Swaziland - indeed, see map view to right...[[/note]], and completely surrounding UsefulNotes/{{Lesotho}}, it formed part of the British Commonwealth until it became a republic in 1961, but continued to implement the segregationist laws collectively known as the Apartheid system until 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected president in the country's first democratic elections. Its capital cities are Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town, which are recognized respectively as the executive, judicial and legislative capitals (i.e., a separate city for each branch of government). [[note]] Contrary to popular belief, Johannesburg is not a national capital, but the capital of Gauteng Province and the seat of the Constitutional Court. It is, however, very close to Pretoria.[[/note]]

Over twenty separate political parties ran in the 2009 national election, with alignments ranging from the extreme right to the extreme left. The ruling party, at just under two-thirds majority, is the big-tent but broadly economically leftist ANC; its leader, the Zulu-descended Jacob Zuma, was therefore President of the Republic (Parliament elects the President, who is both head of state and of government), until he was ousted from office and replaced with Cyril Rhamaposa. The main opposition party is the Democratic Alliance-considerably more than half of its support now derives from non-whites[[note]]The DA is not a coalition of which the old National Party forms a part; it actually descends directly from the liberal-progressive ''white'' opposition of Apartheid times (whose supporters were mostly non-Afrikaners, e.g. British-descended or recent European immigrants--such as current DA leader Helen Zille, whose parents were Jews escaping UsefulNotes/NaziGermany). After apartheid, the NP became the NNP; they tried an alliance with the predecessor of the DA, hated it, and broke up soon afterward, with many of their members '''joining the ANC.''' Strange but true![[/note]]. A third party, the Congress of the People (also known as COPE, and yes, every joke that can possibly be made already has been) was formed due to an ANC split that occurred in late 2008 after the axing of Former President Thabo Mbeki, and, rather unexpectedly, won 10% of the vote. Besides these three larger parties, there are several dozen smaller parties representing minorities and special-interest groups. Therefore, as in most Parliamentary systems of government, coalitions between parties are very important; stand-offs and close calls between two large parties, as in the American system, just do not happen in South Africa. (Instead, they are liable to occur ''within'' the ANC, behind closed doors: the ANC is a rather large tent, including both near-communist leftists and people, like economic wizard Trevor Manuel, who are definitely neoliberal and might well be viewed as centre-right.)

Over twenty separate political parties ran in the 2009 national election, with alignments ranging from the extreme right to the extreme left. The ruling party, at just under two-thirds majority, is the big-tent but broadly economically leftist ANC; its leader, the Zulu-descended Jacob Zuma, is therefore President of the Republic (Parliament elects the President, who is both head of state and of government). The main opposition party is the Democratic Alliance-considerably more than half of its support now derives from non-whites[[note]]The DA is not a coalition of which the old National Party forms a part; it actually descends directly from the liberal-progressive ''white'' opposition of Apartheid times (whose supporters were mostly non-Afrikaners, e.g. British-descended or recent European immigrants--such as current DA leader Helen Zille, whose parents were Jews escaping UsefulNotes/NaziGermany). After apartheid, the NP became the NNP; they tried an alliance with the predecessor of the DA, hated it, and broke up soon afterward, with many of their members '''joining the ANC.''' Strange but true![[/note]]. A third party, the Congress of the People (also known as COPE, and yes, every joke that can possibly be made already has been) was formed due to an ANC split that occurred in late 2008 after the axing of Former President Thabo Mbeki, and, rather unexpectedly, won 10% of the vote. Besides these three larger parties, there are several dozen smaller parties representing minorities and special-interest groups. Therefore, as in most Parliamentary systems of government, coalitions between parties are very important; stand-offs and close calls between two large parties, as in the American system, just do not happen in South Africa. (Instead, they are liable to occur ''within'' the ANC, behind closed doors: the ANC is a rather large tent, including both near-communist leftists and people, like economic wizard Trevor Manuel, who are definitely neoliberal and might well be viewed as centre-right.)

* Clint Eastwood's ''Film/{{Invictus}}''.

* ''Film/SearchingForSugarMan'': A 2012 Academy Award winning documentary about the American FolkRock SingerSongwriter, Sixto Rodriguez, whose career appeared to be a failure in the 1970s, unaware for decades that he was a superstar in South Africa, until some fans cared enough to seek him out in the 1990s and finally give him the success that was his due.

South Africa hosted the [[UsefulNotes/TheWorldCup 2010 FIFA World Cup]], which was widely regarded as a resounding success and has proved to be a landmark event for the country - its only truly unfortunate outcome was to instill in the world at large a [[MemeticMutation perverse fascination]] with the South African custom of blowing into plastic horns called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl5iQFKygxw "vuvuzelas"]] during matches. [[note]]Which is also strange to many South Africans (predominantly those who didn't watch soccer previously).[[/note]] South Africa is also a big cricketing nation, and their rugby team, the Springboks, is rather good too (being somewhere in the international top 5 at any given time). Creator/JRRTolkien was born in this country.

** Deputy President: David Mabuza

** Speaker of the National Assembly: Thandi Modise

* ''ComicStrip/MadamAndEve'', a popular [[PrintLongRunnersnewspaper long-running comic strip]] that started in 1992.

* ''ComicStrip/MadamAndEve'', newspaper comic

* ''[[http://madamandeve.co.za/ Madam And Eve]]'', newspaper comic

The Republic of South Africa[[labelnote:(click here for the official names in its eleven other official languages)]]Zulu: ''iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika'', Xhosa: ''iRiphabhlikhi yoMzantsi Afrika'', Afrikaans: ''Republiek van Suid-Afrika'', Pedi: ''Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa'', Southern Sotho: ''Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa'', Tswana: ''Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa'', Tsonga: ''Riphabliki ya Afrika Dzonga'', Swati: ''iRiphabhulikhi yaseNingizimu-Afrika'', Venda: ''Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe'', Southern Ndebele: ''iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika'', SASL: [[https://africansignlanguagesresourcecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Pasted-Graphic-2.jpg name sign for "South Africa"]] [[/labelnote]] is a Southern African country situated at the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin southern tip of Africa]] and comprises nine provinces. Bordering on UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Eswatini}}[[note]]formerly and possibly better known as Swaziland - indeed, see map view to right...[[/note]], and completely surrounding UsefulNotes/{{Lesotho}}, it formed part of the British Commonwealth until it became a republic in 1961, but continued to implement the segregationist laws collectively known as the Apartheid system until 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected president in the country's first democratic elections. Its capital cities are Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town, which are recognized respectively as the executive, judicial and legislative capitals (i.e., a separate city for each branch of government). [[note]] Contrary to popular belief, Johannesburg is not a national capital, but the capital of Gauteng Province and the seat of the Constitutional Court. It is, however, very close to Pretoria.[[/note]]

The concept of race in post-Apartheid South Africa is complex and fluid. In addition to black South Africans, which group comprises eighty percent of the total population and contains members of multiple ethnic origins and language groups, there is a considerable minority of white South Africans, who may be of Dutch, British, French Huguenot, Israeli, Greek, Portuguese or German descent, and who remain affected by the English/Afrikaans divide. There are also coloured [[note]]the term 'coloured' is not derogatory in South Africa. [[/note]] South Africans, who may be, inclusively, of white, black, Indonesian, Malaysian, Javanese, Arabic and/or Indian descent, and who have an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage as a result, being mostly Afrikaans-speaking and having a high percentage of Muslims. There are also substantial immigrant groups of Indians, whose ancestors arrived in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as migrant workers, and of people of Arabic descent, not to mention a Chinese population of around 100,000. There are also nearly 150,000 refugees, the majority from sub-Saharan Africa (and several million illegals); many come from UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}. Contrary to the image most media would portray, racism is still widespread. Recent controversies surrounding racism include prominent politician Julius Malema[[note]](former leader of the ANC's youth wing until the party expelled him, he now leads the hard-left Economic Freedom Fighters party)[[/note]], who sings a song called "Shoot the Boer" at rallies[[note]]"Shoot the Boers, they are rapists, shoot them, the cowards ..."[[/note]]. Afrikaaner folk singer Bok van Blerk also stirred up controversy with several songs celebrating the Boer War and the Boer people's heroic doomed struggle with the British. These were seen by black politicians as coded incitements to the white race to rise up and restore UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra. One anthem celebrating [[UsefulNotes/TheSecondBoerWar Boer War]] leader [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41Hra8tZgEU&index=4&list=PLIa36ETako3MaZaw7-I0qEuflOniBvTWd Koos de la Rey]], with the chorus "who will lead the Boer people now?", was taken up as a rallying song by far-right nationalist and racist groups and was banned from SA radio and TV. Defenders of van Blerk pointed out he is no racist, and anyway they saw no sign of the "Kill the Boers!" song being banned from public performance as a racist incitement. Controversy continues. Recent years have also seen an upswing in xenophobic prejudice, the chief target of this being the refugees (although its debatable whether you can blame racism for the anti-refugee riots, seeing as in many cases the refugees and rioters were even from the same tribe)[[note]]There are several examples, but the one that comes to mind is the Shona, the largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe.[[/note]].

* In the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse, Flintheart Glomgold was a Boer and made his riches on the Rand, as seen during Creator/DonRosa's ''ComicBook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck''. (In ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'', however, he's Scottish, just like Scrooge.)
** The ''WesternAnimation/Ducktales2017'' reboot decided to split the difference and made Flintheart a Boer ''pretending'' to be Scottish in order to one-up Scrooge.

Today, South Africa recognises a whopping tweleve official languages, namely Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and most recently (on 3 May 2023) South African Sign Language, though certain other widely-spoken languages (such as Fanagalo (a Zulu-based pidgin used mostly in the mines, albeit with extremely negative connotations) and various Khoesan languages) are also given unofficial recognition. In addition, its many immigrant communities make use of, among others, Portuguese, Mandarin, German, and Hindi. Various languages are also recognized as being used "for primarily religious reasons", including Hebrew and Arabic. The so-called 'click languages' of South Africa, namely isiXhosa and isiZulu, form part of the Nguni family of languages, and make use of three click consonants, denoted by a 'c' for alveolar clicks, an 'x' for lateral clicks, and a 'q' for clicks that have variously been described as velar, palatal, and velar-palatal; placing an 'h' after a consonant, as in 'Xhosa', aspirates it. (The Khoesan languages may make use of as many as six clicks.) English is still the primary medium of business and instruction; Afrikaans dominates local pop music and television. The majority of the population learns it as a second or third language, and it, Afrikaans and sometimes Xhosa or Zulu are used as ''linguae francae''. Very few white South Africans speak a local language besides those two.

The Republic of South Africa[[labelnote:(click here for the official names in its ten other official languages)]]Zulu: ''iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika'', Xhosa: ''iRiphabhlikhi yoMzantsi Afrika'', Afrikaans: ''Republiek van Suid-Afrika'', Pedi: ''Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa'', Southern Sotho: ''Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa'', Tswana: ''Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa'', Tsonga: ''Riphabliki ya Afrika Dzonga'', Swati: ''iRiphabhulikhi yaseNingizimu-Afrika'', Venda: ''Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe'', Southern Ndebele: ''iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika''[[/labelnote]] is a Southern African country situated at the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin southern tip of Africa]] and comprises nine provinces. Bordering on UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}} and UsefulNotes/{{Eswatini}}[[note]]formerly and possibly better known as Swaziland - indeed, see map view to right...[[/note]], and completely surrounding UsefulNotes/{{Lesotho}}, it formed part of the British Commonwealth until it became a republic in 1961, but continued to implement the segregationist laws collectively known as the Apartheid system until 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected president in the country's first democratic elections. Its capital cities are Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town, which are recognized respectively as the executive, judicial and legislative capitals (i.e., a separate city for each branch of government). [[note]] Contrary to popular belief, Johannesburg is not a national capital, but the capital of Gauteng Province and the seat of the Constitutional Court. It is, however, very close to Pretoria.[[/note]]

Today, South Africa recognises eleven official languages, namely Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, isiXhosa and isiZulu, though certain other widely-spoken languages (such as South African Sign Language, Fanagalo (a Zulu-based pidgin used mostly in the mines, albeit with extremely negative connotations) and various Khoesan languages) are also given unofficial recognition. In addition, its many immigrant communities make use of, among others, Portuguese, Mandarin, German, and Hindi. Various languages are also recognized as being used "for primarily religious reasons", including Hebrew and Arabic. The so-called 'click languages' of South Africa, namely isiXhosa and isiZulu, form part of the Nguni family of languages, and make use of three click consonants, denoted by a 'c' for alveolar clicks, an 'x' for lateral clicks, and a 'q' for clicks that have variously been described as velar, palatal, and velar-palatal; placing an 'h' after a consonant, as in 'Xhosa', aspirates it. (The Khoesan languages may make use of as many as six clicks.) English is still the primary medium of business and instruction; Afrikaans dominates local pop music and television. The majority of the population learns it as a second or third language, and it, Afrikaans and sometimes Xhosa or Zulu are used as ''linguae francae''. Very few white South Africans speak a local language besides those two.