ding Afrikaans, English,
Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.8%
male: 81.9%
female: 81.7% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
abbreviation: RSA

Data code: SF

Government type: republic

Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative);
Bloemfontein (judicial)

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State,
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape,
Northern Province, Western Cape

Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)

National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Constitution: 10 December 1996; this new constitution was
certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed
by President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on
3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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no longer includes the NP which was withdrawn by DE KLERK on 30 June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: bic