South Africa: five things to know

3rd August 2016, 0 comments

Here are five key facts about South Africa, the African continent's economic and political giant, which has been a democracy since the abolition of apartheid in 1994:

- Decades of racial segregation -

The southern tip of South Africa became a Dutch trading post from 1652 and the territory was colonised by the British from 1795. In 1910, four British dependencies were merged to form the Union of South Africa, which was granted independence within the Commonwealth in 1931. In 1961 the government declared a republic and left the Commonwealth.

The conservative National Party which was made up of Afrikaners -- descendants of the first European protestant settlers -- came to power in 1948. It institutionalised the system of apartheid, segregating the black and white populations on geographical, political, social and political levels.

- Democracy -

After Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years imprisonment in February 1990, and legitimacy restored to his African National Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid groups, official talks began in May between the government of President Frederik de Klerk, the ANC and other parties.

White-minority rule ended on April 27, 1994 when the ANC won the first ever multi-racial legislative elections by a large majority. Mandela was inaugurated president on May 10. Nearly a decade later, Mandela's death on December 5, 2013 sparked a wave of public emotion, with the world paying homage to his achievements.

In 1999, Thabo Mbeki was elected president, and re-elected in 2004, but was forced to resign by the ANC in 2008.

Jacob Zuma was elected president in April 2009 and re-elected by lawmakers in May 2014, following legislative elections won by the ANC.

- Tarnished by scandal -

In March 2016, South Africa's top court said Zuma flouted the constitution over public funds used to upgrade his private residence with a swimming pool and a chicken coop.

The court has just granted Zuma 45 days to pay back $500,000 of public money.

Zuma has also been dogged by allegations of corruption, racketeering, fraud and money laundering over a multi-billion dollar arms deal in the 1990s.

- Economic crisis -

South Africa, Africa's most industrialised economy, is rich in mineral resources, earning major revenues from platinum, of which it accounts for 70 percent of world production, and also gold, diamonds, coal and uranium.

But the country has been going through an economic crisis, with an unemployment rate of 26.7 percent and gaping inequalities among the population, with the black poor hit by a lack of jobs and inadequate basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity.

It has also been hit by a severe drought which has caused food prices to rise.

In July, South Africa's central bank cut its 2016 growth forecast to zero percent.

- Key tourist destination -

South Africa is a key tourist destination due to its beaches, winelands and animal reserves.

It is located at the southern tip of the African mainland and its coastline touches the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Indian Ocean to the east.

In 2015, its population reached 55 million, according to the World Bank, of which about 79 percent are black, eight percent are white, nine percent are mixed race and 2.5 percent are Indian.

Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, Johannesburg is the business and industrial capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. Johannesburg is the most populated city.

© 2016 AFP

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