South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the Parliament. The parliament is bicameral, consisting of National Council of Provinces (the upper house) and the National Assembly (the lower house).
The National Council of Provinces has 90 members, while the National Assembly has 400 members. Elections for both chambers are held every five years. The government is formed in the lower house and the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly is the President.
ince the end of apartheid in 1994, African National Congress (ANC) has dominated South African politics and ruled the country. The main opposition parties are the Democratic Alliance, the Congress of the People (a split-off from ANC), and the Inkatha Freedom Party, which mainly represents Zulu voters.
South African government facts:
- Country name: Republic of South Africa (RSA).
- Type of government: parliamentary democracy.
- Capital: Pretoria; Cape Town (legislative centre) and Bloemfontein (judicial centre)
- Administrative division: Nine provinces, Eastern Cape (capital: Bhisho); Free State (capital: Bloemfontein); Gauteng (capital: Johannesburg); KwaZulu-Natal (capital: Pietermaritzburg); Limpopo (capital: Polokwane); Mpumalanga (capital: Nelspruit); Northern Cape (capital: Kimberley); North West (capital: Mafikeng) and Western Cape (capital: Cape Town)
- Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK); became a republic in 1961.
- National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
- Suffrage: universal, with 18 years of age (since the abolition of apartheid in 1994)
- President: Jacob Zuma
