SOUTH AFRICA

BRIEF HISTORY OF A COUNTRY

• 1652: Dutch arrive in South Africa
• 1795: South Africa is seized by Great Britain
• 1899-1902: Boer Wars
• 1910: Union of South Africa is established
• 1912: the African National Congress is founded
• 1914: National Party is formed
• 1931: Self-Governance
• 1948: National Party is elected to office
• 1950: The Population Registration Act marks the beginning of Apartheid domestic policies
• 1950s: The Anti-Apartheid Movement gains momentum
• 1961: Republic
• 1994: Universal general elections are held marking the end of Apartheid
• 1997: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa

[HIGH]

AUTONOMY

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Access to improved water: 93.2% [US - 99.2%]
• Access to improved Sanitation: 66.4% [US - 100%
• Electricity Production: 235 Billion kWh [US - 4.103 Trillion kWh]
• Electricity Consumption: 212 Billion kWh [US - 3.913 Trillion kWh]
• Internet Access: 51.9% [US - 74.6%]
• Paved Airports: 144
• Railroad Track: 20,986 km
• Paved Roadway: 158,952 km

SECURITY

• Defense Budget: 1.2% of GDP [US - 6%]
• Military Personnel: ~90,000
• Homicide rate (per 100,000): 33 [US - 3.9]

CAPACITY

HEALTH

[MODERATELY LOW]

• Government Spending in Public Health: 4.2% [US - 8.2%]
• Life Expectancy: 57.7 Years [US - 79.2]
• Under-Five Mortality Rate (per 1000 live Births): 40.5 [US - 6.2]
• Physicians Available (per 1000): 0.78 [2.45]

• Proportional Representation Voting enabled a system where elected legislatures abides more to their party than to answer the concerns of their constituents.
• The ANC dominate the National Assembly with little challenge from the opposition and allow for little dissent within the party
• The ANC attempts to absorb civil groups
• Only a small minority of South Africans are politically involved
• Groups like the Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU] represent a very small portion of the labor force. COSATU itself is tied to the ANC
• The public relies highly on the media to inform on government action. In response the ANC as tried to incorporate major media sources and pass legislation against others
• Small groups like the Treatment Action Campaign [TAC] have been able to pressure the government into certain action.

EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION

• Unemployment rate: 25.1% [US - 5.3%]
• Vulnerable Employment: 9.3%
• Government investment in Education: 6.1% of GDP [US - 5.2%]
• Expected years of Schooling: 13 [US - 16.5]
• Adult Literacy Rate: 94.3%
• Enrollment in Primary Education: 100% [US - 100%]
• Enrollment in Secondary Education: 94% [US - 98%]
• Enrollment in Tertiary Education: 20% [US - 87%]

AUTONOMY AND CAPACITY OF THE STATE

CURRENT GOVERNMENT

National Assembly

National Congress of Provinces

• ANC - 60
• DA - 20
• EFF - 7
• IFA - 1
• NFP - 1
• UDM -1

• ANC - 249
• DA - 89
• EFF - 25
• IFA - 10
• NFP - 6
• UDM - 4
• Other - 17

President: Jacob Zuma [ANC]

THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATE

WORLD HAPPINESS RANKING

2013 - 2015 Ranking: 116th [4.459]

SOUTH AFRICA

From 2003-2005: 113th [-0.698]

Standard Deviation: 95th [2.143]

Unitary Constitutional Parliamentary Republic

POPULATION AND SOCIETY

PRESIDENT

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

POPULATION:

54,300,704

Powers

• Chief Executive of South Africa
• Head of State
• Head of Government
• Elected by the National Assembly
• Can be removed by a vote of no confidence

• Deals with the constitutionality of legislation
• 11 seats
• Twelve-Year Terms
• Appointed by the President from a list of candidates
• Candidates are chosen by the Judicial Commission

• To rule whether actions by the government are constitutional or not
• To rule what the government is obligated to do or not

ETHNICITY

Religion

Powers

• To appoint and remove Cabinet positions
• Sign or Veto Legislation
• Refer Legislation to the Constitutional Court
• Dissolve the National Assembly
• To call for referenda
• To call for new elecetions

ETHNICITY, RACE,

AND IDENTITY

• Christian: 80%
• Other/None: 18%
• Muslim: 2%

• Black African: 79%
• White: 10%
• Colored: 9%
• Asian/Indian: 2%

South Africa experienced nearly a hundred years of systemic racial division and competition of ethnic nationalism, as a result racism is still rampant in many institutions and the governing parties of parliament are divided along racial lines.

Despite this:

• 83% are proud to be South African
• 50% identify primarily as South African
• 10% identify primarily with an ethnic group

Paxton Cheng

Jonathan Eng

Andrew Hawks

Eliseo Rodriguez

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

• isiXhosa
• isiZulu

• Sepedi
• Sesotho
• Setswana

• siSwati
• Tshivenda
• Xitsonga

• Africaans
• English
• isiNdebele

PARLIAMENT

PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly

National Council of Provinces

• the Lower House
• 400 seats
• Five-year terms

• the Upper House
• 90 seats
• 10 representatives from each Province

• The governing body of a Province
• Each of the nine Provinces has its own Assembly
• Legislatures are directly elected by citizens of that province
• Legislatures have a term of five years

Powers

• To revise or block National Legislation concerning the provinces

Powers

• To elect and remove the President
• To create National Legislation
• To determine Fiscal Policy
• To Overturn a National Council of Provinces decision with a two-thirds vote

• To Form a Provincial Constitution
• To Create Provincial Law
• To levy taxes [Limited]
• To elect a Premier as the Chief Executive of the Province
• To choose the Province's Representatives in the National Council of Provinces

ELECTORATE

POLITICAL PARTIES

• African Christian Democratic Party
• African Independent Congress
• African National Congress
• African People's Convention
• Agang South Africa
• Congress of the People
• Democratic Alliance
• Economic Freedom Fighters
• Freedom Front Plus
• Inkatha Freedom Party
• National Freedom Party
• Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania
• United Christian Democratic Party
• United Democratic Movement

• National Assembly
• Provincial Legislature
• Proportional Representation Voting
• Single Nationwide Constituency
• Proportional division of seats won by a party

ANC: ONE PARTY DOMINATION

Obtained overwhelming control of the government in the 1994 elections.

Control of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces enables the ANC to pass legislation with little challenge from the opposition parties.

Prior to the 2009 election, the ANC was able to override any block or veto against them with their full control of the two-thirds majority vote.

ANC elected officials are likely to put the party ahead of their constituency due to the party imposing strict disciplines on their members to leave little room for dissidence and factionalism

The ANC has had the Tendency to view itself as South Africa's one true party and any action against them is unpatriotic or even against South Africa itself

Use of tax payer money for home improvement of private house. Cost: $23 million

Use of tax payer money in the purchase of luxury cars for four of the First Wives. Cost: $550,000

2008, signed legislation to disband the Directorate of Special Operations for Justice, "The Scorpions," after the law enforcement agency began to investigate Zuma and his party

Allegedly accepted bribery in $5 billion dollar arms deal leading to 783 criminal charges of corruption.

All charges were dropped in the advent of the 2009 elections.

PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA

ECONOMY AND STATE

HIV Prevalence (ages 15-49): 19.2%

Deaths to Malaria (per 100,000): 2.2

Deaths to Tuberculosis (per 100,000): 44.0

Lack of Measles Vaccination (under one): 30%

Lack of DTP Vaccination (under one): 27%

DISEASE

CORRUPTION

Tenderprenuer:

public officials how use their power to profit from government contracting

CURRENT ISSUES OF THE COUNTRY

B.R.I.C.S.

Brazil / Russia / India / China / South Africa

• Computers
• Mining
• Energy
• Technology
• Media
• Air Travel

Owners of Sahara Computers, a $22 million dollar company with invest in:

• 1/2 the world population
• 1/4 the world land mass
• 1/5 the world GDP [ ~$15.8 Trillion]
• The New Development Bank
• Estimated to overtake the G7 by 2050

• GDP: $ 314.572 Billion
• GDP per capita: $13,000
• GDP Growth: 0.1%
• GNI per capita: $6,080
• Revenue: $76.62 Billion
• Expenditure: $86.45 Billion
• Public Debt: 43.3% of GDP
• Inflation: 6.5%
• Currency: 0.075 USD
• Exports: $83.16 Billion [China 11.3%]
• Imports: $ 85.03 Billion [China 17.6%]

THE GUPTAS FAMILY

Generous donors to several political parties.

Many of Zuma's immediate family are employed by the Guptas.

Allegedly have offerd to and appoint individuals to certain public offices for financial gain.

Frequently used government facilities for personal use.

SOURCES

"South Africa." The World Bank, http://data.worldbank.org/country/south-africa

87% of surveyed police officers view foreigners as inherently criminal

"South Africa." CIA Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

Immigrant Population: ~ 2 million

South Africa is the most xenophobic country out of the developing countries of the continent

2008 Johannesburg Riot, 60 killed

2015 Durban Riot, 7 killed

XENOPHOBIA

"South Africa." International Monetary Fund, http://www.imf.org/external/country/ZAF/index.htm

Helliwell, J., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2016). World Happiness Report 2016, Update (Vol. I). New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

"South Africa." United Nations Development Programme, http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/ZAF

Nkosi, Milton."South Africa furore over flashy cars for Jacob Zuma's wives." BBC, 26 May 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36386034

Unknown. "SA Judge finds Jacob Zuma should face corruption charges." BBC, 29 April 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36169594

GDP COMPOSITION

Nkosi, Milton. "Zuma's South African Nkandla home upgrade 'unethical'." BBC, 20 March. http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-26654970/zumas-south-african-nkandla-home-upgrade-unethical

• 9% agriculture
• 26% Industry
• 65% Services

Unknown. "The Guptas and their links to South Africa's Jacob Zuma." BBC, 2 November 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22513410

Onishi, Norimitsu. "Jacob Zuma Beats Back Impeachment Drive in South Africa." New York Times, 5 April 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/world/africa/jacob-zuma-impeachment-south-africa.html?_r=1

"How Corrupt Is South Africa?" Youtube, uploaded by NowThis, 30 June 2016.

"Does South Africa Hate Immigrants?" Youtube, uploaded by NowThis, 25 April 2015.

Masuku, Themba. "Targeting Foreigners: Xenophobia among Johannesburg Police." South African Crime Quarterly, No. 15, March 2006, 19-24

O'Neil, Patrick H. Cases in Comparitive Politics. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2013.

"What Are The BRICS Countries?" Youtube, uploaded by NowThis, 27 June 2015

Kupchan, Charles A. "The World in 2050: When the 5 Largest Economies Are the BRICs and Us." The Atlantic, 17 February 2012. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/02/the-world-in-2050-when-the-5-largest-economies-are-the-brics-and-us/253160/