Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994);
Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994);
Executive Deputy President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); note—the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and executive deputy presidents elected by the
National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 9 May 1994
(next scheduled for sometime between May and July 1999)
election results: Nelson MANDELA elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote—100% (by acclamation); Thabo MBEKI and
Frederik W. DE KLERK elected executive deputy presidents; percent of
National Assembly vote—100% (by acclamation)
note: the initial governing coalition, made up of the ANC, the IFP,
and the NP, which constituted a Government of National Unity or GNU,
no longer includes the NP which was withdrawn by DE KLERK on 30 June
1996 when he voluntarily gave up his position as executive deputy
president and distanced himself from the programs of the ANC
Legislative branch: bicameral parliament consisting of the
National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote
under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year
terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members
elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year
terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including
the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic
minorities); note—following the implementation of the new
constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate was disbanded and
replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no
change in membership and party affiliations, although the new
institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new
constitution
elections: National Assembly and Senate—last held 26-29 April 1994
(next to be held 2 June 1999); note—the Senate was disbanded and
replaced by the National Council of Provinces on 6 February 1997
election results: National Assembly—percent of vote by party—ANC
62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%,
other 0.9%; seats by party—ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC
5, ACDP 2; Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—ANC
61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals;
High Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: African Christian Democratic Party SCHALKWYK, executive director]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC note: 11 other parties won votes in the April 1994 elections but not enough to gain seats in the National Assembly
Political pressure groups and leaders: Congress of South African secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO in a formal alliance with the ANC
International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, C, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM, NSG, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New
York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James A. JOSEPH
embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083
mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001
consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag description: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one—three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
Economy