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Submitted by:
Brodeth, Rhealyn Irah Freolo. Arjim R. Ibay, Wilrose

Submitted to; Mr. Atienza

The Republic of South Africa The Republic of South Africa

I The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy or a parliamentary republic with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a nearly unique system that combines aspects of parliamentary and presidential systems. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa Executive authority is vested in the President of South Africa who is head of state and head of government, and his or her Cabinet. The President of South Africa is both head of state and head of government; in the same manner as the prime minister of other nations, the President is elected by the National Assembly (the lower house of the South African Parliament) and must enjoy the confidence of the Assembly in order to remain in office. South Africans also elect provincial legislatures which govern in respect of each of the country's nine provinces. The government is undertaken by three inter-connected branches of government:

Legislature: The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces Executive: The President, who is both Head of State and Head of Government Judiciary: The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the High Court

Legislature
The Bicameral Parliament of South Africa consists of:

National Assembly - Lower house National Council of Provinces, -Upper house.

National Assembly consists of 400 members elected by popular vote using a system of party-list proportional representation.

The Houses of Parliament in Cape Town.

Party-list proportional representation systems a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation (PR) in elections in which multiple candidates are elected .They can also be used as part of mixed additional member systems. Following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the National Council of Provinces replaced the former Senate with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed; with the body now having special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities. In ordinary legislation, the two chambers have coordinate powers, but all proposals for appropriating revenue or imposing taxes

National executive

The President, Deputy President and the Ministers make up the executive branch of the South African state. Ministers are Members of Parliament who hold a ministerial warrant to perform certain functions of government.

Ministries Ministries
Each minister is responsible for one or more departments, and some ministers have a deputy minister to whom they delegate some responsibility. The portfolios, incumbent ministers and deputies, and departments are shown in the following table.
Deputy Minister(s)

Portfolio

Minister

Department(s)

President of South Africa Jacob Zuma

Deputy President of South Africa

Kgalema Motlanthe

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tina Joemat-Peterson

Pieter Mulder

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Arts and Culture

Paul Mashatile

Joe Phaahla

Arts and Culture

Basic Education

Angie Motshekga

Enver Surty

Basic Education

Communications

Roy Padayachie

Obed Bapela

Communications

Cooperative Governance Sicelo Shiceka and Traditional Affairs

Yunus Carrim

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Correctional Services

Nosiviwe MapisaNqakula

Ngoako Ramathlodi

Correctional Services

Defence and Military Veterans

Lindiwe Sisulu

Thabang Makwetla

Defence and Military Veterans

Economic Development

Ebrahim Patel

Enoch Godongwana

Economic Development

Energy

Dipuo Peters

Barbara Thompson

Energy

Finance

Pravin Gordhan

Nhlanhla Nene

Treasury, Stats SA

Health

Aaron Motsoaledi

Gwen Ramokgopa Health

Higher Education and Training

Blade Nzimande

Hlengiwe Mkhize

Higher Education and Training

Home Affairs

Nkosazana DlaminiZuma

Fatima Chohan

Home Affairs

Human Settlements

Tokyo Sexwale

Zou Kota

Human Settlements

International Relations and Cooperation

Maite NkoanaMashabane

Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim,Marius Fransman

International Relations and Cooperation

Justice and Constitutional Development

Jeff Radebe

Andries Nel

Justice and Constitutional Development

Labour

Mildred Oliphant

Labour

Mineral Resources

Susan Shabangu

Godfrey Oliphant Mineral Resources

Police

Nathi Mthethwa

Makhotso Sotyu

Police, ICD

Public Enterprises

Malusi Gigaba

Enoch Godongwana

Public Enterprises

Public Service and Administration

Richard Baloyi

Ayanda Dlodlo

Public Service and Administration, PSC, P ALAMA

Public Works

Gwen MahlanguNkabinde

Ben Martins

Public Works

Rural Development and Land Reform

Gugile Nkwinti

Thembelani Nxesi

Rural Development and Land Reform

Science and Technology

Naledi Pandor

Derek Hanekom

Science and Technology

Social Development

Bathabile Dlamini

Maria Ntuli

Social Development

Sport and Recreation

Fikile Mbalula

Gert Oosthuizen

Sport and Recreation

State Security

Siyabonga Cwele

State Security Agency

Minister in the Presidency for the National Planning Commission

Trevor Manuel

National Planning Commission

Minister in the Presidency for

Collins Chabane

Dina Pule

The Presidency, GCIS

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency

Tourism

Marthinus van Schalkwyk

Thozile Xasa

Tourism

Trade and Industry

Rob Davies

Thandi Tobias, Elizabeth Trade and Industry Thabethe

Transport

S'bu Ndebele

Jeremy Cronin

Transport

Water and Environmental Affairs

Edna Molewa

Rejoice Mabhudafhasi

Water Affairs, Environmental Affairs

Women, Youth, Children Lulu Xingwana and People with Disabilities

Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities

Judiciary
The third arm of the central government is an independent judiciary. The Judiciary interprets the laws, using as a basis the laws as enacted and explanatory statements made in the Legislature during the enactment. The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law and accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations. The constitution's bill of rights provides for due process including the right to a fair, public trial within a reasonable time of being charged and the right to appeal to a higher court.

Four major tiers of courts:

Magistrates Courts The court where civil cases involving less than R100 000, and cases involving minor crimes, are heard. High Courts The court of appeal for cases from the magistrates courts, as well as the court where major civil and criminal cases are first heard. Supreme Court The final court of appeal for matters not pertaining to the constitution. Constitutional Court The final court of appeal for matters related to the constitution

Constitution

Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution. This constitution required the Constituent Assembly (CA) to draft and approve a permanent constitution by 9 May 1996. The Government of National Unity (GNU) established under the interim constitution ostensibly remained in effect until the 1999 national elections. The parties originally comprising the GNU the African National Congress (ANC), the National Party (NP), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) shared executive power. On 30 June 1996, the NP withdrew from the GNU to become part of the opposition. The parties originally comprising the Government of National Unity (GNU); The African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994 The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is a political party in South Africa. Since its founding, it has been led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. It is currently the fourth largest party in the National Assembly of South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, South Africa's politics has been dominated by the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC is the ruling party in the national legislature, as well as in eight of the nine provinces, having received 65.9% of the vote during the 2009 general election and 62.9% of the popular vote in the 2011 municipal election. The main challenger to the ANC's rule is the Democratic Alliance, led by Helen Zille, which received 16.66% of the vote in the 2009 election and 24.1% of the popular vote in the 2011 election. Other major political parties represented in Parliament are the Inkatha Freedom Party, which mainly represents Zulu voters, with 4.55%; and the Congress of the People with 7.42% in the 2009 election. The formerly dominant New National Party, who both introduced and ended apartheid through its predecessor the National Party, disbanded in 2005 to merge with the ANC. The current South African president is Jacob Zuma. Other legacies of Apartheid in South African politics Many leaders of former bantustans have had a role in South African politics since their abolition.
Bantustan (also known as black African homeland or simply homeland)

was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia), as part of the policy of apartheid. Mangosuthu Buthelezi was chief minister of his Kwa-Zulu homeland from 1976 until 1994. In postapartheid South Africa he has served as President of the Inkatha Freedom Party. He was a Minister in President Mandela's cabinet. He also acted as President of the country when President Nelson Mandela was out of the country.

Bantubonke Holomisa who was a general in the homeland of Transkei from 1987, has served as the president of the United Democratic Movement since 1997. Today he is a Member of Parliament. General Constand Viljoen is a former chief of the South African Defence Force, who, as a leader of the Afrikaner Volksfront, sent 1500 of his militiamen to prop up the government of Lucas Mangope and to contest the termination of Bophuthatswana as a homeland in 1994. He co-founded the Freedom Front in 1994. He has retired from being a Member of Parliament. Lucas Mangope, Former chief of the Motsweda Ba hurutshe-Boo-Manyane tribe of the Tswana, ex-president of the former bantustan of Bophuthatswana, is the current leader of the United Christian Democratic Party.