Capital of South Africa - 3 Capitals - Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein Capital of South Africa Pretoria, South Africa Unlike most other countries around the world, South Africa has not one but three capital cities. More precisely, the government branches are divided among three major South African cities: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. This concept dates back to the creation of the Union of South Africa, where conflicting views on which city should hold the capital led to this compromise. Much like the very idea of the balance of powers, leaders of early South Africa decided that having all government centralized in one place could give that place too much power, so it divided the branches among three provinces. Pretoria, located in the Gauteng Province, is the administrative capital and the seat of the President of the Cabinet, that is the executive branch. Pretoria is often considered the de facto national capital, and was the capital of Apartheid South Africa. This city is the headquarters for many government departments, as well as foreign embassies. The city's name has been the source of controversy for several years, and may soon be changed back to the indigenous name Tshwane.

Pretoria is located about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Johannesburg in the northeast of the nation. Cape Town, South Africa is the legislative capital, and the seat of the nation's Parliament. South Africa's parliament consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. After Johannesbug, Cape Town is the second largest city by population in South Africa. Finally, Bloemfontein serves as the judicial capital, as the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Bloemfontein is also the capital of its province, the Free State, and is centrally located within South Africa.

ACOD~20121214 Houses of Parliament Houses of Parliament The city of Cape Town, despite not being the capital of South Africa, is home to South Africa�s Houses of Parliament experiences in our beautiful country By Province You are here: South Africa / Information / Tourist Attractions & Destinations / Western Cape Attractions / Cape Town Attractions / City Bowl / Cape Town Central / Houses of Parliament Western Cape Tourist AttractionsThe Houses of Parliament The city of Cape Town , despite not being the capital of South Africa, is home to South Africa�s Parliament - Cape Town is the legislative capital, whilst the seat of government is in Pretoria , the administrative capital - which is one of the biggest draw cards to the city under the mountain. Where? Plein Street, Cape Town Central, Cape Town Central Call? For Tours contact +27 (0)21 403-2266 Overnight? See City Bowl accommodation , in Cape Town Lying in the uppermost corner of Company Gardens , with their entrance on Parliament Street, it�s not unusual for locals and visitors alike to encounter Members of Parliament in coffee shops or restaurants in the surrounding areas; and journalists use this locale to scout for news.

It is from here that the President gives his State of the Nation Address, after the opening of Parliament, which involves several road closures and demarcated �no parking zones� around the Gardens - a challenge for locals getting in and out of the Cape Town city centre , but a welcome spectacle for visitors. Visitors can buy tickets to sit in the public gallery during parliamentary sessions between January and June, although you need to remember to have your passport with you, and there are guided tours though the Houses of Parliament buildings during the week. The parliament building itself, which also houses the Library of Parliament, is beautiful, with its central dome and Corinthian porticos and pavilions. The original designer, Charles Freeman, miscalculated the foundations and was replaced by Henry Greaves, who oversaw the building until completion in 1885. The new House of Assembly was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. Popular Attractions near to Houses of Parliament De Tuynhuys De Tuynhuys, the office of the state President and closed to the public, witnessed one of the most important turning points in South African history when FW de Klerk announced from its steps, on 18 March 1992, that South Africa had...

More info and contact details: De Tuynhuys South African Museum The oldest museum in sub-Saharan Africa, the South African Museum (SAM) has been adding to their collections for nearly 200 years and was established in 1825. Collections here range from fossils to insects and fish found as recently as... More info and contact details: South African Museum South African National Gallery Lying in the Company's Garden, opposite the South African Museum on Government Avenue, the South African National Gallery houses some of the most beautiful collections of South African, African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art in... More info and contact details: South African National Gallery The Western Cape University Study in South Africa—University of Cape Town | U-M LSA Center for Global and Intercultural Study University Study in South Africa—University of Cape Town ... No language prerequisite Location Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa and as the seat of the national parliament is the legislative capital of the country. It is among the world’s most multicultural cities, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants. Cape Town recently served as World Design Capital and was named by several global news outlets as the best place in the world to visit.

Coursework The University of Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest university and consistently ranked as Africa’s top teaching and research institution. The main campus occupies a beautiful site on the slopes of Table Mountain. Study at this large, diverse, coastal university alongside South African students in Science, Engineering, and the Built Environment; Commerce; and in the Faculty of Humanities, which includes many social science departments such as anthropology and political science. Excursions and Student Life You will have many opportunities to travel off campus, which will enhance your understanding of culture, politics, and geography in South Africa. University staff arrange optional excursions for international students. You may also volunteer with a local organization such as SHAWCO, which provides students the opportunity to work with schools in the townships. Cape Town | national legislative capital, South Africa | Britannica.com national legislative capital, South Africa Written By: Alternative Titles: De Kaap, Kaapstad Related Topics Western Cape Cape Town, city and seaport, legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape province. The city lies at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula some 30 miles (50 kilometres), at its southernmost boundary, north of the Cape of Good Hope .

Because it was the site of the first European settlement in South Africa, Cape Town is known as the country’s “mother city.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Sea Point, Cape Town, S.Af. Anthony Allen—Gallo Images/Getty Images Cape Town has a beautiful setting: parts of the city and its suburbs wind about the steep slopes of Table Mountain (3,563 feet [1,086 metres] high) and neighbouring peaks and rim the shores of Table Bay; other parts lie on the flats below the slopes or stretch southward across the flats to False Bay . The city covers an area of 116 square miles (300 square kilometres). Pop. (2005 est.) urban agglom., 3,103,000. Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town and Table Bay, Western Cape province, South Africa. Charles O’Rear/Corbis Physical and human geography The character of the city The city of Cape Town had its origin in 1652, when the Dutch East India Company established a refreshment station for its ships on the shores of Table Bay.

The location was magnificent, on well-watered, fertile soil, beneath the precipitous walls of Table Mountain. The indigenous inhabitants provided cattle but not labour, and the company imported slaves, mainly from East Africa , Madagascar , and the Bay of Bengal area. The slaves brought with them something of their culture and—especially in the case of the Muslims from the East Indies—their religion. Mixed-race unions took place, but strong racial and ethnic characteristics remained. In 1781 the French established a garrison to help the Dutch defend the city against British attack, and the French presence influenced local architecture and culture. British occupation in the 19th century brought new parliamentary and judicial concepts and freedom for the slaves. Cape Town was the gateway to Europe’s penetration of the South African interior, and close ties with continental Europe were maintained. Similar Topics Potchefstroom Today Cape Town is a modern city with high-rise office buildings and pedestrian malls. Although it is a major political and economic centre, its reputation still rests on its beautiful situation between mountain and sea, its cosmopolitan population, and the liberal outlook of many of its citizens. The landscape The city site The first settlement of Cape Town was situated between Table Mountain and Table Bay.

It was bounded on the northwest by the ridges known as Lion’s Head and Lion’s Rump (later called Signal Hill), on the north by Table Bay, on the south by Devil’s Peak , and on the east by marshlands and the sandy Cape Flats beyond. The nearest tillable land was on the lower eastern slopes of Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain and, farther to the southeast, at Rondebosch, Newlands, and Wynberg. From the fortress that protected the settlement, a track led south past these lands to False Bay on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula and on beyond Muizenberg and Kalk Bay to Simon’s Bay, where the East Indiaman trade ships could find shelter from northwesterly winter gales. The constraints of mountain, sea, and sand shaped the direction of Cape Town’s growth, and the pattern was followed in subsequent road and rail construction. A railway line reached Wynberg in 1864 and Muizenberg in 1883, and another line ran eastward from Cape Town across the Flats to the interior.

Climate The climate of Cape Town is Mediterranean in type; it is locally modified by the mass of Table Mountain and by the cold Benguela Current of the South Atlantic Ocean . The average high temperature is 70° F (21° C), in January and February, and the average low is 55° F (13° C), in July, but temperatures are cooler on the mountain slopes and on the coast. Freezing occurs infrequently. On the average, rain falls on 69 days of the year; about half of the 26 inches (660 millimetres) of annual rainfall occurs between June and August , the southern winter. The amount of rainfall varies with proximity to the mountain, with areas close to the slopes receiving as much as twice the precipitation of areas farther away. The winds, generally strong, come from the northwest in winter and vary from between southeast and southwest in summer. Southerly winds produce a cloud cover over Table Mountain known as the “tablecloth.” These winds are collectively referred to as the “ Cape doctor” because they keep air pollution at a low level. The city layout Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The narrow streets of the early settlement ran parallel to the shore.

The road that led from the shore inland to the Dutch East India Company’s produce garden became the main thoroughfare. Originally called the Heerengracht, for the canal in Amsterdam of that name, it was renamed Adderley Street in 1850. Other main roads paralleled it as the town grew. In Strand Street, on what once was the shore of Table Bay, stands the Castle of Good Hope, built by the company between 1666 and 1679. Near the Castle are the Botanic Gardens, which are bisected by Government Avenue and overlooked by government buildings. A parliament building, constructed for the use of the colonial government and first occupied in 1885, became the seat of the Parliament of the Union of South Africa in 1910 and of the Republic of South Africa in 1961. Additions to the building were opened in 1987. Capitals & Cities: Fact or Fiction? The opening of the Alfred Dock in 1870 led to renewed development along the shore. The breakwater was lengthened and piers were built in 1890–95, and the newly sheltered area was named Victoria Basin.

Dredging for the Duncan Dock, built between 1938 and 1945 to accommodate larger vessels, and for the Ben Schoeman Dock in 1977, resulted in the reclamation of 480 acres (194 hectares) along the shore, referred to as the Foreshore. Adderley Street was extended to the new harbour, and the extension was named the Heerengracht. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The building of a modern system of freeways has greatly facilitated movement between the city and its suburbs. There has been a considerable increase in population and commercial activity in the southern suburbs, especially in Claremont and Wynberg. Particularly favoured residential areas are on the slopes east of Table Mountain and on the slopes of Signal Hill, overlooking Bantry Bay and the beaches of Clifton. Much of Cape Town’s early architecture reflected prototypes from the Netherlands that were modified for the region. Characteristics included flat roofs, projecting porches, and distinctive gables. Louis-Michel Thibault, a French architect who arrived in 1783, designed much that was then fashionable, including the Old Supreme Court building, now the South African Cultural History Museum.

Notable buildings of the period include the Old Town House and the Lutheran Church. Of the original Groote Kerk (Great Church), opened in 1704, only the steeple and vestry remain; the rest was rebuilt in the 1830s. Today buildings in the central business district and on the Foreshore follow modern international trends in architecture. The people More than half of the residents of the city and metropolitan area are Coloured (the former official term for people of mixed race), about one-fourth are white, about one-fifth are black, and the remainder are of Asian—primarily Indian—origin. In the metropolitan area Afrikaans is the first language of almost half the Coloureds and whites. Almost one-quarter speak English as a first language, and another quarter are equally at home in both languages. The blacks are predominantly Xhosa-speaking. The majority of the residents are members of Protestant churches, but there are also sizable communities of Roman Catholics and Muslims. South Africa’s Group Areas Act of 1966 consolidated earlier acts aimed at enforcing the policy of racial segregation known as apartheid , and it provided for the reservation of certain areas for residence and occupation by specific racial groups within the population.

The act brought about many changes in Cape Town’s residential areas; for example, a mixed but predominantly Coloured neighbourhood known as District Six, south of the Castle, was cleared by bulldozers. Special legislation permitted Coloureds who were living in Cape Town’s Malay Quarter to remain, but other Coloured and Indian families were forced to move to designated areas, mostly east of the Cape Town–Muizenberg railway line and onto the Cape Flats. According to figures submitted to Parliament, by the end of 1980 some 29,300 Coloured and 1,500 Indian families, but only 195 white families, had been resettled on the Cape Peninsula. Because housing in the prescribed areas was inadequate, in 1975 the city undertook construction with government funding of a model township of 40,000 houses for Coloured families at Mitchells Plain, southeast of the city. Indian families were installed at Rylands and Pelikan Park. In 1990 the government did an about-face over District Six, opening it to residence by all sections of the Cape Town community .

Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Nearly all blacks in Cape Town were confined to Guguletu and Nyanga West within the city limits and to neighbouring Nyanga and Langa. With the abolition of influx controls in the 1980s, a great movement of blacks into Cape Town and other urban areas from impoverished black states began, and camps of squatters were soon overcrowded. The government established a township for blacks at Khayelitsha, east of Mitchells Plain, and squatter camps were then demolished in 1986 in an attempt to direct the blacks there. The economy Industry and commerce Cape Town was South Africa’s economic base until the discovery and exploitation of minerals in the interior; today it is one of the nation’s most important industrial centres and a major seaport. About nine-tenths of the fish eaten in South Africa is distributed through Cape Town, and Table Bay is one of the world’s largest fruit-exporting harbours. A petroleum refinery and chemical, fertilizer, cement, and automobile-assembly factories are situated in the metropolitan area.

In the city the basic industries are connected with ship repair and maintenance, food processing, and wine making and with the manufacture of clothing, plastics, and leather goods. Tourism is of growing importance. Cape Town is well served by department stores and supermarkets. A number of nationwide commercial concerns have their head offices in Cape Town, including oil and insurance companies. Transportation Eyjafjallajökull volcano The port of Cape Town handles some five million tons of cargo annually. The port does not admit ships of more than 40-foot draft at low tide, but its repair facilities and dry dock are important to interoceanic traffic. The Ben Schoeman Dock accommodates container traffic. Cape Town International Airport has regular flights to Europe and North and South America . The bulk of its flights, however, are domestic. Cape Town is the terminus of a railway network that extends northward to Zimbabwe and beyond. Two main radial freeways lead southward to False Bay. Supplementing these are two national routes and a beltway circling the central business district. An elevated freeway extends across the city’s shore area. Most whites and the more prosperous Coloureds and blacks own motor vehicles.

Public transport is particularly important for those who live far from their place of employment. Spoornet, which operates suburban trains, and a private bus company serve the Cape Town area. There also are minibuses that provide cheap, fast transportation. Administration and social conditions Government The city council consists of two elected councillors from each of 17 wards. The mayor has largely ceremonial duties, and an executive committee of council members is directly responsible for the administration of the city. Provincial authority over local government entered a period of change during the 1990s, and a transitional provincial committee for local government was established. Services Most of Cape Town’s electricity is produced at the national Electricity Supply Commission’s nuclear power station at Koeberg, north of the city. Cape Town has its own coal-fired power station and two gas turbines to assist in emergencies and at peak periods. A hydroelectric facility at Steenbras also generates power when needed. The city’s water, which once came from dams on Table Mountain and at Steenbras, now also comes from Riviersonderend, Voëlvlei, and Wemmershoek.

The city provides ambulance, fire, and other services to nearby municipalities and local authorities, including black squatter camps, when requested and permitted. Health The city’s Health Department offers comprehensive health services and runs a system of polyclinics and specialized clinics. The major medical problem in Cape Town, as in every urban centre in South Africa, is pulmonary tuberculosis, a disease that is spread easily where nutrition and hygiene are poor and housing is overcrowded. Public hospitals are the responsibility of the broader provincial administration. Groote Schuur Hospital, where the world’s first heart transplant took place, is one of South Africa’s largest hospitals. There are other smaller provincial hospitals and an increasing number of private hospitals in the city. Education The most renowned institution of higher learning is Diocesan College (founded in 1849), located in Rondebosch. The University of Cape Town, also in Rondebosch, developed from South African College (founded in 1829) and formally came into being in 1918. The university has always demanded the right to admit students of all races, conditional only on the basis of academic merit, and an increasing number of nonwhites are being accepted.

Lack of space and funding, however, has caused the university to restrict its growth. The University of the Western Cape, originally built to serve the Coloured community, is located in the nearby municipality of Bellville . The facilities of the Cape College for Advanced Technical Education are being centralized in new buildings in District Six; the first complex was opened in 1987. Many residents of the city, especially nonwhites, receive academic degrees through correspondence courses offered by the University of South Africa. Cultural life The South African Cultural History Museum controls several satellite museums, including Groot Constantia (the manor house built by Governor Simon van der Stel in about 1685), the 18th-century Koopmans de Wet House, the Bo-Kaap Museum (a reconstruction of a Cape Muslim house), the Bertram House (Georgian), and, in the old harbour area, the South African Maritime Museum. There are several collections of art. The William Fehr Collection in the Castle of Good Hope displays paintings and prints related to Cape history, as well as Cape antique furniture, silverware, and glassware.

At Rust en Vreugd, an 18th-century house near the Castle, another part of the Fehr Collection displays watercolours and prints of historical interest. Paintings by European masters are on exhibit at the Old Town House, and modern and contemporary paintings are on view at the South African National Gallery . The South African Museum, with extensive additions opened in 1987, is devoted mainly to natural history. The city is home to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Artscape (formerly the Cape Performing Arts Board), based in the Nico opera house and theatre complex. The Baxter Theatre, opened in 1977 on the campus of the University of Cape Town, contains a theatre, a concert hall, and a studio theatre and stages as many as 1,000 performances a year. The cricket and rugby grounds at Newlands are the traditional homes of these sports in South Africa. Football (soccer) matches are held in the Hartleyvale and Green Point stadiums, which are also used for cycling and other sports. National tennis competitions are held in Rondebosch.

The Good Hope Centre, designed by the 20th-century Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi , is used for exhibitions, indoor tennis, boxing, and wrestling. Squash courts are located at the University of Cape Town’s indoor sports centre. A race track and four golf courses lie within the city boundaries. Zeekoevlei and Sandvlei, two lakes in the southeast near False Bay, are popular for water sports, especially sailing and windsurfing (board sailing). Cape Town’s harbour is an important base for yachting; many international yachting events are hosted there. In the 1990s the waterfront around the old harbour was developed with a new basin for small craft and marina, residential accommodations, and cultural and recreational facilities. The city has numerous public swimming pools, and its beaches are popular. Table Mountain and the mountains above Muizenberg provide hiking and climbing for nature lovers and mountaineers. The National Botanic Gardens at Kirstenbosch flank a boundary of the city.

Wild Seed Pod by Arthur Fata, at the entrance to the National Botanic Gardens, Cape Town, … Zaian History The first European to anchor at Table Bay and climb Table Mountain was the Portuguese navigator António de Saldanha. He encountered a few hundred indigenous inhabitants, a Khoe people whose economy was based on herding, hunting, and gathering. After Saldanha’s visit, European ships continued to put in at Table Bay to take on fresh water, meat, and other provisions. Survivors of the Dutch vessel Haerlem, wrecked in Table Bay in 1647, brought back such glowing reports of the region that the directors of the Dutch East India Company ordered that a station to supply ships rounding the Cape be established there. On April 7, 1652, the company’s representative, Jan van Riebeeck , stepped ashore to select sites for a fort and a vegetable garden. In 1657 the company began to release men from its employ so that they could become free burghers (citizens) and farmers, and in 1658 the company began to import slaves.

Inland from Table Mountain , a second company farm was established at Newlands, and vines were planted on the slopes of Wynberg (“Wine Mountain”). Van Riebeeck and his senior officials constituted a council of policy and court of justice . Free burghers were invited to join the court when matters concerning burghers were at issue, and burgher-councillors eventually took responsibility for services such as fire protection, road maintenance, and the preservation of order. The colony began to spread beyond the Cape Peninsula, and the council of policy came to rely increasingly on the burgher-councillors for fact-finding and for advice on town affairs. The importation of slaves, the introduction of political exiles from the Dutch East Indies , and marriage and cohabitation with indigenous Khoekhoe (whom the Dutch called Hottentots) increased the population, but at the beginning of the 18th century the town, known as De Kaap (“The Cape”), still consisted of only 200 houses. Its growth was accelerated by rising international tensions and growing appreciation of the strategic importance of the Cape.

During the Seven Years’ War (1756–63), which involved the major European powers, many French and British ships called at the port, which from 1773 onward was referred to by British visitors as “Cape Town” (Afrikaans: Kaapstad). During the American Revolution , which exacerbated tensions between rival European powers, a British fleet sought in 1781 to occupy the Cape, which directors of the English East India Company described as “the Gibraltar of India.” A French fleet, however, reached the Cape first and established a garrison there to help the Dutch defend it. The French presence brought prosperity and gaiety to Cape Town and initiated a surge of building. The degree of local control over Cape Town’s affairs has varied considerably throughout its history. Burgher representation on the council increased to six, and from 1785 onward a committee of three burghers and three officials formally advised the council on urban matters. This committee acquired official status in 1793.

By the time a British force occupied the Cape in 1795, the committee, known as the burgher-senate, had assumed responsibility for the town, which then had 1,000 houses and a population of some 14,000. In 1803 the colony reverted to the Netherlands. The following year the town received its coat of arms, on which was displayed an anchor that symbolized “good hope,” on a field of gold, and three golden rings from van Riebeeck’s personal coat of arms. Britain reoccupied the Cape in 1806, and its title was confirmed in 1814. In 1828 the burgher-senate was abolished, and two residents were appointed to the governor’s council of advisers. Slaves were freed in 1834, but they were required to serve four years of indenture. In 1840, when the town’s population had reached some 20,000, the municipality of Cape Town came into existence; it incorporated the suburbs of Green Point and Sea Point to the north and west of Signal Hill.

The municipality was administered by a board of commissioners and ward masters elected in 12 districts by citizens owning or occupying premises valued at £10 or more per annum, and it was financed by property taxes. In 1867 Cape Town obtained full municipal government, with three councillors from each of six districts; the chairman of the council became mayor. From 1881 onward a number of separate municipalities came into being, among them Woodstock, Rondebosch, Claremont, Newlands, Wynberg, and Kalk Bay. The improved roads, the introduction of an electric tramway, and a common concern for water supplies and sewers prompted proposals for amalgamation of the urban sprawl. It was not until 1913, however, three years after the formation of the Union of South Africa, that the town councils of Cape Town and several of the adjacent towns combined to form the City of Greater Cape Town. Map of Cape Town and vicinity, from the 10th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Suburban development, largely inland to the east and down the Cape Peninsula to the south, followed the radial roads and the railway line, construction of which began in 1859. The Alfred Dock, opened in 1870, encouraged shipping. An influx of people followed the discovery inland of diamonds in 1870 and gold in 1886. These developments, as well as the South African (Boer) War (1899–1902) between Britain and the combined forces of the Boer republics, brought about a modest industrialization in Cape Town. The years after World War II were marked by increased urbanization and by enormous growth in both industry and population. The harbour and industrial sites were extended again, and modern buildings rose in the central business district. Handsome residential areas spread along the lower mountain slopes, and modern freeways were constructed. During much of the 20th century there were no racial bars in Cape Town, and both whites and nonwhites could vote and hold office. In 1972 (when there were six nonwhite councillors) national legislation removed nonwhites from the electoral rolls over protests from the citizens.

The municipality continued to oppose apartheid legislation and in 1985 formally reiterated its belief that all people, regardless of race, colour, or creed, have the democratic right to participate fully in the affairs of the city and its council. A peaceful protest march of some 40,000 people in September 1989 helped to create the climate for similar demonstrations in other parts of South Africa, the subsequent release from prison of the African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela , and the end of the system of apartheid . With the dismantling of apartheid, Cape Town’s government was converted to majority rule. The new ANC-led government passed the Municipal Structures Act in 1998, which expanded the city’s municipal boundaries and restructured and integrated the city’s government and services in an attempt to better serve all city residents.

Additional Media Parliament of the Republic of South Africa | South African History Online South African History Online South Africa - First 20 Years of Democracy (1994 - 2014) Related articles Parliament Building in Cape Town Parliament of the Republic of South Africa Before 1910, the creation of the Union of South Africa, the Parliament Buildings housed the bicameral Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope which functioned as the Legislature of the Cape Colony. It consisted of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was established, unifing the Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony. With the unification of South Africa came the establishment of a new parliament, the Parliament of South Africa. The Parliament was bicameral and consisted of the Senate, and the House of Assembly (known as the Volksraad in Afrikaans), with the King of the United Kingdom as the monarch and head of state. In 1961, the Republic of South Africa was established, severing its ties with the United Kingdom.

The only change made to the composition of the Parliament was the replacement of the British Queen with the State President. A few significant changes were made later: Coloured representation was ended in 1968, leaving both the Senate and the House of Assembly representing white voters only; the Senate was abolished in 1981, changing Parliament to a unicameral legislature; and South West Africa ceased being represented in Parliament from 1977. In 1984, a new Constitution was introduced and it established representation for the Coloured and Indian populations in separate houses. It retained the existing House of Assembly for whites, and established a House of Representatives to represent the Coloureds, and a House of Delegates for the Indians, making Parliament a tricameral legislature. Blacks continued to be excluded. In 1994, with the end of Apartheid and the election of a new Government, a new interim Constitution was introduced. The interim Constitution introduced non-racial democracy and represented all men and women of all races on equal terms. Parliament was reconstituted to consist of a Senate and a National Assembly. The Senate consisted of 90 senators, ten nominated by each of the nine provinces.

It was chaired by a President of the Senate elected by the senators from amongst themselves. The National Assembly consists of 400 Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by voters on a proportional representation/party list system. Each political party is allocated a number of seats proportionate to the percentage of the votes it receives across the country during the general elections. Parliament is chaired by a Speaker elected by the MPs from among themselves. In 1997, the revised, final Constitution of South Africa came into effect, in which the Senate was replaced by a 90-member National Council of Provinces (NCOP), made up of a 10-member delegation from each province (six delegates elected by the provincial legislature, the Premier, and three other members of the provincial legislature). The NCOP is chaired by a Chairperson elected by the members from among themselves. Cape Town is the Legislative capital, Pretoria the administrative capital and Bloemfontein the Judicial capital. Parliament is a representative body holding supreme legislative powers within the state. The democratically elected parliament of South Africa came into existence after the general elections of 1994.

The Constitution was adopted as the supreme law, and laid the foundation for a democratic society – a single sovereign democratic state where governance is exercised through Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary. Parliament Logo Parliament consists of two houses: the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and the National Assembly, each with its own separate roles and rules. However, at times they act together to conduct what is known as joint business. The responsibilities of the National Assembly include: choosing the head of state as well as acting as a National Forum where issues are debated publicly; it is also responsible for overseeing and closely and thoroughly examining the actions of the Executive. The NCOP ensures that the Provinces are delivering services to the people as mandated by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and provincial interests are looked after and taken into account in the national sphere of government. Parliament’s primary role is to represent the people and ensure government under the Constitution as well as to represent the Provinces at the national sphere of government. Parliament is the place where Members of Parliament (MPs) look after the citizens’ interests.

MPs’ responsibilities include the following: Making laws that will improve people’s lives; Discussing and debating government policy and other political and social issues; Consulting with the people and representing the people’s views in Parliament; Helping people in their constituencies; Approving the budgets of government departments, as presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance; and checking that public money is not wasted; and Making sure that the work that government promises to do is indeed being done. Parliament’s role further includes promoting the values of human dignity, non-racialism, equality, the supremacy of the Constitution, non-sexism, multi-party democracy and universal adult suffrage. The Parliament promulgates legislation that prohibits unfair discrimination, upholds citizens’ political rights and the basic values and principles governing public administration, and oversees the implementation of constitutional imperatives. It also facilitates public involvement in legislative and other processes as it has the responsibility to promote the principle of co-operative government and intergovernmental relations. It is required, by the Constitution, to assist and protect the courts and state institutions, to ensure fairness, dignity, independence, accessibility and the effectiveness of these. At its first sitting after a general election, the Parliament elects the Speaker, the principal office bearer of the Assembly.

The Speaker’s responsibilities include constitutional, statutory, procedural and administrative powers and functions. The Speaker is equivalent in rank to a Cabinet Minister. Though the Speaker is a member of a political party, he or she is required to act fairly and protect the rights of all parties. The duties of the Speaker fall broadly into three categories, namely: presiding over sittings of the House, maintaining order and applying its rules; acting as representative and spokesperson for the Assembly and (with the Chairperson of the Council) for Parliament; and acting as chief executive officer for Parliament, in conjunction with the Chairperson of the Council. Speakers of Parliament since 1994 include: Dr. Frene Noshir Ginwala who was the first democratic Speaker of Parliament from 1994 to 2004. Baleka Mbete became the second Speaker of Parliament (2004 to 2008). She was re-elected the Speaker of the National Assembly in 2014, the position she currently holds (2015). Gwen Lindiwe Mahlangu-Nkabinde became the third Speaker of Parliament from 2008 to 2009.

In 2009, she served as deputy minister of Treasury and in 2010 she was appointed Minister of Public Works. Vuyisile Max Sisulu became the fourth Speaker of Parliament. He succeeded Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde from 2009 to 2014. He became the first post-apartheid male Speaker of the National Assembly as well as the first black male to hold this position. Sisulu, a member of ANC, is the son of ANC stalwarts Albertina Sisulu and Walter Sisulu . He is a member of the Finance Committee, the National Working Committee and head of the ANC Economic Transformation unit. Parliament in session Source South Africa’s Parliament has various committees which are proportionally representative of the political parties in Parliament. Committee meetings are open to the public; however, they may be closed if there is reason to do so.

The different committees have one or more of the following functions:(a) they monitor and oversee the work and budgets of national government departments and hold them accountable; (b) they consider and amend Bills, and may initiate Bills; (c) they consider private members’ and provincial legislative proposals and special petitions; (d) they consider international treaties and agreements; (e) they examine specific areas of public life or matters of public interest; (f) they take care of domestic parliamentary issues, having the power to call upon any person to appear before them to give evidence or produce documents; and (g) they may require any person or institution to report to them. Committees may also receive petitions, representations or submissions from the public. Each Committee is headed by a Chairperson. The African National Congress (ANC) is the dominant party and the majority party in Parliament since it came to power after winning the first Democratic election held on 27 April 1994. The party won the elections with 62.6%, securing 252 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly (Parliament). Nelson Mandela became the first black head of state, the President.

Mandela retired as the head of state when his term ended and was succeeded by Thabo Mbeki . The second democratic elections took place in 1999 and the ANC won the general elections with 65.85% of the vote, securing 266 seats in the National Assembly. The ANC won the third general elections which were held in 2004, led by Thabo Mbeki. The ANC won 69.69% of the vote with 279 seats in the National Assembly. In 2007, President Mbeki lost the presidency of the ANC and was succeeded by his former deputy president Jacob Zuma. The following September 2008, Mbeki was recalled as the country’s president and was replaced by ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe. These events led to the formation of the Congress of the People (COPE), a breakaway by a number of ANC leaders who were close to Mbeki. In the 2009 general elections, the ANC won with 65.9%, securing 264 seats in the National Assembly. Jacob Zuma became the President of the country.

In the 2014 general elections, the ANC’s votes decreased when the party secured 62.1% and got 249 seats in the National Assembly. The current political parties represented in Parliament are the African National Congress (ANC) with 249 seats, the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 89 seats, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 25 seats, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) with 10 seats, the National Freedom Party (NFP) with 6 seats, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) with 4 seats, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) with 4 seats, the African Independent Congress (AIC) with 3 seats, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) with 3 seats, the Congress of the People (COPE) with 3 seats, Agang South Africa (Agang) with 2 seats, and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and African People’s Convention each with 1 seat.

References: • Parliament of Republic of South Africa, What Parliament does, from Parliament of Republic of South Africa [online], available at [accessed: 19 March 2015] • South African History Online, House of Parliament, from South African History Online [Online] available at [accessed: 20 March 2015] • Parliament of Republic of South Africa, the Beginners’ guide, from Parliament of Republic of South Africa [online] available [accessed: 20 March 2015] • Election resources on the internet: Republic of South Africa 1999 Elections, from Election resources on the internet [online] available [accessed: 24 March 2015] • Election resources on the internet: The Republic of South Africa Electoral system, from Election resources on the internet [online] available at [accessed: 25 March 2015] • Election resources on the internet: Republic of South Africa General Elections results lookup, from Election resources on the internet [online] available at [accessed: 25 March 2015] Attend a Parliamentary Session Attend a Parliamentary Session experiences in our beautiful country By Province Miscellaneous City Bowl Where?

Collect tickets at Room 006 Upperground Floor, 90 Plein Street. The public galleries are in New Wing and NCOP Buildings. Enter Parliament via the Visitors Centre entrance, 120 Plein Street, Cape Town. When? Daily from January to June. Tickets are available from From 09:00 to 17:00 on the day of the sitting. Tours should be booked at least one week in advance by telephone. How? Call +27 (0)21 403-2266 How much? Free Overnight? Stay at accommodation in Cape Town Central , in Western Cape The city of Cape Town, despite not being the capital of South Africa , is home to South Africa�s Parliament (Cape Town is the legislative capital), whilst the seat of government is in Pretoria, the administrative capital. Visitors can sit in the public gallery during parliamentary sessions in Cape Town between January and June. There are guided tours though the buildings during the week. Tour options available include a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament (including historical background and an explanation of how Parliament works).

You can observe debates from the public galleries in the National Assembly or National Council of Provinces, attend a Public Hearing or committee meeting. Tickets for observing debates from the public galleries of both the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) can be obtained, free of charge, from the Public Relations Office. Note: You need to have your passport with you in order to attend. Why not overnight? Find Accommodation in Cape Town Central Self Catering Cape Town South Africa Photos - African Maps, Africa Maps South Africa Map Information - World Atlas CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA PHOTOS Print this map Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. The city is famous for its harbor as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is also Africa's most popular tourist destination. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East.

Today cape Town is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. Feeding the friendly seals in Hout Bay. A slice of scenery around the tip of South Africa. One of the curious inhabitants of nearby Boulder Beach Penguin colony. Sunsets atop Table Mountain are said to be some of the best on the planet, and it's hard to disagree with that. The Table Mountain Cableway takes passengers from the lower cable station on Tafelberg Road, about 302 m above sea level, to the plateau at the top of the mountain. The upper cable station offers views overlooking Cape Town, Table Bay and Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south. Table Mountain can also be a romantic place, as these two travelers discovered. Beautiful Cape Point is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about 30 km at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town are close to the northern extremity of the same peninsula.

Hout Bay is the name of a coastal suburb of Cape Town, South Africa with a mix of neighborhoods from the very rich to the very poor. It lies in a valley on the Atlantic Seaboard of the Cape Peninsula and is about 20 km south of the Central Business District of Cape Town. The name Hout Bay can refer to the town, or the bay on which it is situated. Hout Bay is home port for boats of all descriptions. Local seals are so used to being fed by locals and tourists, even the young get in on the begging act. South Africa is known for its wide-series of beaches with striking turquoise waters and sparkling white sandy shores. Many of them beckon visitors with nice weather and miles of sandy shores. Some beaches boast 320 + days of sunshine each year.

Question: Which is the seat of National Parliament and the legislative capital of South Africa?
Answer: Cape Town