Abstract
South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent and anchors the southern African region. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are its immediate neighbours, and the country surrounds Swaziland and Lesotho. South Africa has an area of 1,219,602 square kilometres, and a population of approximately 56.5 million people. The country’s recent political history is dominated by its transition to a non-racial democracy in 1994, which ushered in a system that allowed all South Africans, regardless of race, to enjoy equal civil and political rights.
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Notes
- 1.
Government Communications, South Africa Yearbook 2016/17, Pretoria: Government Communications (GCIS), 2017.
- 2.
African National Congress, “Legislature and Governance for a National Democratic Society,” 2007. Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/legislature-and-governance-national-democratic-society-anc-30-march-2007-52nd-national
- 3.
Ibid.
- 4.
Ibid.
- 5.
Department of Provincial and Local Government, “Policy Process on the System of Provincial and Local Government: Background: Policy Questions, Process and Participation,” Pretoria: DPLG, 2007.
- 6.
Ibid.
- 7.
Ibid.
- 8.
Ibid.
- 9.
Helen Suzman Foundation, “Refinement or Fundamental Re-design: The Future of the Provinces,” Johannesburg: Helen Suzman Foundation, 2007.
- 10.
Ibid.
- 11.
Ibid.
- 12.
Ibid.
- 13.
The author attended the gathering as a guest, and these observations are based on notes taken by the author.
- 14.
The author was also present at this event.
- 15.
Kevin Mileham, “Why Do We Need Provincial Government?’ The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office, Hanns Seidel Foundation. 20 May 2016, The Townhouse Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa.
- 16.
Ibid.
- 17.
African National Congress, “Transformation of State and Governance: National General Council Discussion Document,” July 2010.
- 18.
African National Congress, 54th National Conference: Report and Resolutions, 2017.
- 19.
S. Cele, “Cyril’s ‘Extreme Changes’: Merging Ministries, Cutting Staff, Reducing Number of Provinces,” City Press, 11 February 2019. Available at: https://city-press.news24.com/News/cyrils-extreme-changes-merging-ministries-cutting-staff-reducing-number-of-provinces-20190211 (Accessed 11 April, 2019)
- 20.
Mileham, “Why Do We Need Provincial Government?”
- 21.
Matatiele and Merafong local municipalities are pertinent examples.
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Naidoo, V. (2020). South Africa (Republic of South Africa). In: Griffiths, A., Chattopadhyay, R., Light, J., Stieren, C. (eds) The Forum of Federations Handbook of Federal Countries 2020. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42088-8_23
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