According to ezinereligion, in 2007, South Africa had a population of around 49 million people. The economy was largely driven by manufacturing, finance and government services. South Africa also had strong foreign relations with other African countries and the rest of the world. In terms of politics, South Africa was a democratic nation ruled by the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC had been in power since 1994 and was responsible for providing basic services to all citizens as well as enacting economic reforms to improve the standard of living for all South Africans. This included introducing social welfare programs and economic policies that aimed to reduce poverty, create jobs, and promote economic growth. In addition, the ANC also worked towards improving educational opportunities for all citizens and eliminating racial disparities in access to healthcare, housing, education and employment opportunities.
Yearbook 2007
South Africa. According to CountryAAH, Cape Town is the capital city of South Africa. The most extensive strikes since the apartheid era were carried out during the year. Throughout June, about half a million civil servants quit the job, leading to the closure of most schools and the emergency medical services only with the help of military doctors. At the beginning of the strike, the national organization COSATU demanded a salary increase of 12 percent and was offered 6 percent. When the strike was quit at the end of the month, the pay rise stopped at 7.5 percent. Immediately following this conflict, a quarter of a million metalworkers went on strike for four days for a better wage offer. the oil refineries for just over a week.
- According to abbreviationfinder: SF is the 2-letter acronym for the country of South Africa.
Relations between the trade union movement and the ANC-led government were gnawing more and more because of the government’s too-friendly policy according to the trade unions. When COSATU openly supported leftist populist Jacob Zuma as the new ANC leader after President Thabo Mbeki, the party leadership reacted vehemently to what it saw as undue interference in the ANC’s affairs. At the party leadership election during the ANC congress in December, Zuma clearly defeated Mbeki, despite prosecutors getting the sign from the Constitutional Court in November to resume a corruption investigation against him. The charge was dropped in 2006 after another court found that documents seized during a house search could not be relied upon. Now, the court ruled that the documents could be used and at the end of the year, charges were brought for corruption, fraud, money laundering and conspiracy with organized crime.
President Mbeki suspended the Prosecutor General Vusi Pikoli in September, citing cooperation difficulties between him and the Minister of Justice. However, strong suspicions were raised that the shutdown was an attempt to protect National Police Chief Jackie Selebi, also chief of Interpol and close ally with the president. It was revealed in October that, at the time of the suspension, Pikoli had, at the request of the detained crime police, The Scorpions, issued an arrest warrant on Selebi suspected of corruption and conspiracy with organized crime. The arrest warrant was then withdrawn pending a new investigation.
An attempt by the opposition to dismiss Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang failed. She is controversial for her denial of AIDS, but was now accused not only of incompetence but also of alcoholism and kleptomania. On the other hand, Deputy Minister of Health Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was dismissed as criticizing the government’s AIDS policy.
In May, the largest opposition party Democratic Alliance elected Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille as new chairman after Tony Leon, who resigned after 13 years. Zille was faced with the difficult task of attracting the black voters who could give the party real credibility.
One of the leading politicians of the apartheid era, former Police Minister Adriaan Vlok, got back into the limelight when he was sentenced to ten years in prison on condition that in 1989 he tried to murder the leading apartheid opponent Frank Chikane by poisoning his clothes. Vlok had acknowledged and asked Chikane for forgiveness.
In the May 2009 election, the ANC got 65.9% of the vote and Jacob Zuma became president. The number of votes declined by 3.8% and reflected the political crisis the party had been through.
In June-July 2010 South Africa hosted the soccer world championships. The host gave South Africa and Africa prestige. It was the first time an African country had hosted. But at the same time, it triggered criticism from especially poor South Africans because the funds for the huge infrastructure projects could be used to build housing and create jobs.
In December 2010, South Africa was formally included in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) collaboration, which now became BRICS. The country itself had requested admission, which had been accommodated. The group held its first meeting in South Africa in Durban in March 2013.
By 2011, South Africa had welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees from Zimbabwe. In June, however, the country closed its largest refugee reception office in Johannesburg. At the same time, refugees from Zimbabwe were barred from entering South Africa, and other already registered refugees were sent back to Zimbabwe because they possessed “valid travel documents”. In SADC, South Africa, in turn, took on a stronger role for Zimbabwe. At a Livingstone meeting in Zambia in March, SADC leaders criticized Mugabe for failing to implement the promised political reforms. Mugabe again responded with a smear campaign against Zuma and the SADC negotiating panel to intervene in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.
The many refugees in South Africa are putting additional pressure on the country’s already under pressure. The refugees, who are often illegal, constitute the lowest paid part of the labor market, thereby squeezing wages and contributing to the already right South American unemployment. This has led to several xenophobic demonstrations against the refugees, who have also been subjected to violent reprisals.
South Africa voted in March for the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, paving the way for NATO’s war on Libya. South Africa’s voice led to fierce protests from the African Union (AU) against, and South Africa subsequently joined with the AU in the peace talks on Libya, which were all rejected and sabotaged by NATO. NATO’s abuse of the UN mandate meant that for the rest of 2011, South Africa refused to vote for Western resolutions to pave the way for war against Syria. Russia and China vetoed the same resolutions.
Security forces routinely use excessive violence against protesters and detainees. At the same time, impunity is widespread. It was therefore positive when, in May 2012, 12 Bellville South Organized Crime Unit police officers were brought to justice, accused of killing an arrester they had in their custody. But in November 2013, all 12 were acquitted ‘ lack of evidence ». Impunity could continue.
South Africa weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 20 ° C and 28 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in March in Durban, while May is noticeably cooler in Cape Town.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 17-24 ° C. This is good weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
In March it rains depending on the region of 3 (Cape Town) to 8 days (Pretoria), in April to 5 (Pretoria) to 6 days (Cape Town) and in May at 2 (Pretoria) to 8 days (Cape Town).
In the period from March to May, the sun shines an average of 6 to 9 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in Cape Town in March, but with less sun you have to get by in Durban in March.