22
edits
Changes
updated information concerning the capital
|flag =Sf-lgflag.gif
|flag =Sf-lgflag.gif
|arms =
|arms =
|capital =Pretoria
|capital =Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
|capital-raw =
|capital-raw =
|government =Republic
|government =Republic
==Government and Political Conditions==
==Government and Political Conditions==
South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the Parliament.
South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the Parliament. The country is unusual in that it technically has three capital cities, since the three branches of the federal government are divided between them. As such, Pretoria houses the executive branch, Cape Town houses the legislative branch, and Bloemfontein houses the judicial branch. Therefore, these cities are known respectively as the executive capital, the legislative capital and the judicial capital.
The Parliament consists of two houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, which are responsible for drafting the laws of the republic. The National Assembly also has specific control over bills relating to monetary matters. The current 400-member National Assembly was retained under the 1997 constitution, although the constitution allows for a range of between 350 and 400 members. The Assembly is elected by a system of "list proportional representation." Each of the parties appearing on the ballot submits a rank-ordered list of candidates. The voters then cast their ballots for a party.
The Parliament consists of two houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, which are responsible for drafting the laws of the republic. The National Assembly also has specific control over bills relating to monetary matters. The current 400-member National Assembly was retained under the 1997 constitution, although the constitution allows for a range of between 350 and 400 members. The Assembly is elected by a system of "list proportional representation." Each of the parties appearing on the ballot submits a rank-ordered list of candidates. The voters then cast their ballots for a party.