Pictures of South Africa

Flag of South Africa

South African National Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXKur2FAN7g

Newspaper of South Africa

This is a copy of Newspaper format of South Africa.

Brief description of what this article is about:

‘Dennis must quit!’
ANC top brass have come out in defence of embattled Kouga executive mayor, Robbie Dennis, following Tuesday‘s high drama that saw opposition parties and a splinter faction of disgruntled tripartite alliance members baying for his head.Lashing out at those who played on people‘s emotions, Monwabisi Rebela, said the organisation would not tolerate individuals who tried to divide the people of the Kouga for their own personal gain. "No councillor or official is bigger than the party. The party and the people placed in certain positions must be respected. Anarchy will not be tolerated.”

Magazines from South Africa

http://www.ud-news.co.za/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&view=book&id=2

South Africa Welcome Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0vmOggBlOQ

SOUTH AFRICA

1. Background infromation

Country Statistics South Africa has three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. South Africa has a bicameral parliament: the National Council of Provinces (the upper house) has 90 members, while the National Assembly (the lower house) has 400 members. Geographical Facts South Africa is located at the southernmost region of Africa, with a long coastline that stretches more than 2,500 km (1,553 mi) and along two oceans (the South Atlantic and the Indian). At 1,219,912 km2 (471,011 sq mi), South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world and is comparable in size to Colombia. Njesuthi in the Drakensberg at 3,408 m (11,181 ft) is the highest peak in South Africa. South Africa has a generally temperate climate, due in part to being surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist.

Historical Facts Modern humans have inhabited Southern Africa for more than 100,000 years. At the time of European contact, the dominant indigenous peoples were tribes who had migrated from other parts of Africa about one thousand years before. From the 4th-5th century CE, Bantu-speaking tribes had steadily moved south, where they displaced, conquered and assimilated original Khoikhoi and San peoples of southern Africa. At the time of European contact, the two major groups were the Xhosa and Zulu peoples. In 1652, a century and a half after the discovery of the Cape Sea Route, the Dutch East India Company founded a refreshment station at what would become Cape Town. Cape Town became a British colony in 1806. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch, Flemish, German and French settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north and east of the country. Conflicts arose among the Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaner groups who competed for territory. The discovery of diamonds and later gold triggered the 19th-century conflict known as the Anglo-Boer War, as the Boers and the British fought for the control of the South African mineral wealth. Although the British defeated the Boers, they gave limited independence to South Africa in 1910 as a British dominion. Within the country, anti-British policies among white South Africans focused on independence. During the Dutch and British colonial years, racial segregation was mostly informal, though some legislation were enacted to control the settlement and movement of native people, including the Native Location Act of 1879 and the system of pass laws.Power was held by the European colonists. In the Boer republics, from as early as the Pretoria Convention and subsequent South African governments, the system became legally institutionalised segregation, later known as apartheid. The government established three classes of racial stratification: white, coloured, and black, with rights and restrictions for each. South Africa achieved the status of a republic in 1961. Despite opposition both in and outside of the country, the government legislated for a continuation of apartheid. As the 20th century went on, some Western nations and institutions began to boycott doing business with the country because of its racial policies and oppression of civil rights. After years of internal protests, activism and insurgency by black South Africans and their allies, finally in 1990, the South African government began negotiations that led to dismantling of discriminative laws, and democratic elections in 1994. The country then rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations.


The first President to be elected under the new Constitution was Nelson Mandela, who was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki in 1999, followed by Kgalema Motlanthe in September 2008, and then Jacob Zuma in May 2009.
The South African unit of currency is the rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents.

2. Language and Media

The media of South Africa has a large mass media sector and is one of Africa s major media centres. While South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole, the most commonly used language is English. However, all ten other official languages are represented to some extent or another. Afrikaans is the second most commonly used language, especially in the publishing sector.
The languages that are use in South Africa: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
thank you = dankie
sorry = jammer
teacher = onderwyser

Radio and television remain the main means of getting news and information in South Africa. Radio started in South Africa in 1923. Since then, it has spread throughout the country. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was established in 1936 to handle the country's broadcast needs. Over the years, radio was used as a propaganda instrument to force South Africans to accept apartheid and everything it stood for. Samples of short stories
The World That Made MandelaBy Luli CallinicosBringing history and geography together, this is a large coffee-table-sized book filled with archival and contemporary images, telling the story of Nelson Mandela and his struggle for SA's freedom through the many places associated with his life. From his birthplace in Qunu to the Old Fort in Johannesburg, where he was held prisoner (and which is now the site of the Constitutional Court), from Soweto to Mpumalanga, the images provide a wonderful historical context for SA today, combining to form a unique "heritage trail".
Long Walk to FreedomBy Nelson MandelaThe towering figure of South Africa's liberation struggle began this autobiography in prison, having pages in tiny writing smuggled out by comrades. When he came out of jail in 1990, and went on to become SA's first black president in 1994, he continued the work, and it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Mandela, the times he has lived through and the war he waged for freedom. He also authorised a biography by Anthony Sampson which provides much useful extra information and differing perspectives.

3. Culture

Myths and Legends
Near Coffee Bay is a prominent rock formation with a big hole in the middle, which has become a symbol for the Xhosa of a great historical tragedy, the "Great Cattle Killing". It is a unique structure with a huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place "izi Khaleni", which means "place of thunder". At certain seasons and water conditions (high tide) the waves clap is such a fashion that the concussion can be heard throughout the valley.

A young girl called Nongqawuse had seen a messenger from the realm of the ancestors at a waterhole. She told her uncle Mhlakaza about her vision. As he was an important Xhosa priest, his social rank granted a great impact to the prophecy he derived from his niece's vision. He announced that soldiers who were incarnations of the souls of dead Xhosa warriors, would arrive on the 18th of February over the sea, come onto land through the "Hole in the Wall" and defeat the hated British. But, he continued, the Xhosa had to make a sacrifice to help the warriors by destroying all their cereals and killing all their cattle. After the victory, there would be food in abundance for everybody. The Xhosa followed the instructions in his prophecy and killed their whole stock of cattle. The catastrophe took its course. Thousands of Xhosa starved and the British had an easy time conquering the remaining people.


4. Festival

-Oyster,wine and food festival
24 000 Fresh succulent oysters must be eaten at South Africa’s 2nd largest oyster festival!
Fresh juicy oysters, fine wines and a variety of mouthwatering oyster dishes await visitors to this year’s Oyster, Wine & Food Festival. This delicious celebration of food will take place at The Brightwater Commons on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd May from 11am daily. Food lovers can also sample a variety scrumptious treats ranging from gourmet cheeses and olives all the way to nougat and confectionery.
This year’s event promises to be bigger and better. There’ll be more oyster stations to prevent long queues, and a greater number of participating wine estates will provide wine lovers with an even greater selection for sampling. Live musical performances on the Saturday and Sunday will add to the festive ambiance. Whilst entry into the festival will be FREE, there will be a nominal fee involved for the sampling of various oysters’ dishes.

5. Historical Event

-Escape to the white mountain
If you want to escape the city and chill out in a superb mountain setting while listening to acoustic performances by some of the country’s top artists, then look no further than the annual White Mountain Folk Festival.
Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, this intimate, family-friendly festival runs over four days from September 24 to 27 and is held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant Castle.
Attractions range from abseiling, paintball and helicopter flips to fishing, boating, hiking and a zip line across a nearby 100m-wide gorge. There’s also a beer market featuring several local breweries, colourful arts and crafts and a variety of food stalls catering for all tastes. Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, pub, games room, swimming pool and satellite TV.
Now in its fourth year, White Mountain is KZN’s only acoustic music festival and has quickly become a firm favourite on the events calendar. Tickets are available at Game stores in KZN (R400), Comp ticket (R450) and at the festival gate (R500). The price includes camping for the entire festival and children under 12 pay R50.

6. Social Issues

According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the United Nations, South Africa was ranked second for murder and first for assaults and rapes per capita. Official statistics show that 52 people are murdered every day in South Africa. The reported number of rapes per year is 55,000, and it is estimated that 500,000 rapes are committed annually in South Africa. Total crime per capita is 10th out of the 60 countries in the data set.
Rape is a common problem in South Africa. One in three of the 4,000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year. South Africa has some of the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world. In a related survey conducted among 1,500 schoolchildren in the Soweto township, a quarter of all the boys interviewed said that 'jackrolling', a term for gang rape, was fun.
Middle-class South Africans seek security in gated communities. Many emigrants from South Africa also state that crime was a big motivator for them to leave. Crime against the farming community has continued to be a major problem.
Along with many African nations, South Africa has been experiencing a "brain drain" in the past 20 years. This is believed to be potentially damaging for the regional economy, and is almost certainly detrimental for the well-being of the majority of people reliant on the healthcare infrastructure, given the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The skills drain in South Africa tends to demonstrate racial contours (naturally given the skills distribution legacy of South Africa) and has thus resulted in large white South African communities abroad.
In May 2008 long standing state hostility to African migrants exploded in a series of pogroms that left up to 100 people dead and 100,000 displaced.