Volunteering in South Africa

History
In 1652, the Dutch stopped off in South Africa on route to the East Indies. Diseases spread through the population as slaves from Africa were imported to carry out the heavy labour. Fruit and vegetables were grown here to help with the scurvy that was being spread between the ships. They began to settle in what was to be known as Cape Town and soon they branched out to the rest of South Africa. In 1815, after the Napoleonic wars, South Africa then became a British colony. Most of the Dutch Boer who fled north found tribes and thus a war began between the Dutch and the Zulus. Eventually the Dutch conquered and created an Afrikaner state in the north. The English then tried to take control of the Afrikaner state leading to the Boer Wars. It was in 1910 when the English and Afrikaner states combined forces and South Africa became a union. In 1961 South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth. The Apartheid was enforced and it was a difficult time for many citizens of South Africa. In 1976 the youth of Soweto marched against unacceptable educational conditions, police fired at them and violence broke out. A state of emergency was declared. The government was under enormous pressure and so in the late 1980's they had no option but to start negotiations with Mandela. When Nelson Mandella was released in the 1990’s, the Apartheid laws were dismissed and Mandella became president.

Politics
South Africa is the only nation in the world with three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. South Africa has a bicameral parliament: the ninety members of the National Council of Provinces (the upper house); and the four hundred members of the National Assembly (the lower house). Ten members are elected to represent each province in the National Council of Provinces, regardless of the population of the province. Elections for both chambers are held every five years. The government is formed in the upper house, and the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly is the President. Current South African politics are dominated by the African National Congress (ANC), which received 69.7% of the vote during the last 2004 general election and 66.3% of the vote in the 2006 municipal election. The main challenger to the ANC's rule is the Democratic Alliance party, which received 12.4% of the vote in the 2004 election and 14.8% in the 2006 election. The leader of this party is Helen Zille (elected May 6 2007). The previous leader of the party was Tony Leon.

Climate
South Africa is fairly dry country with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm. While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region.

Natural resources
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

People & Culture
Crime continues to be a major problem in South Africa.

• Botanic GardensTourist Attraction
• Bruma Market World (Flea market)Tourist Attraction
• Camps Bay BeachTourist Attraction
• Drakenstein Lion Park Tourist Attraction
• Gold Mining StatueTourist Attraction
• Gold Reef CityTourist Attraction
• Hare Krishna Temple of UnderstandingTourist Attraction
• Johannesburg FortTourist Attraction
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Tourist Attraction
• Kolonnade Ice Arena Tourist Attraction
• Lesedi Cultural VillageTourist Attraction
• Lion ParkTourist Attraction
• North Beach Tourist Attraction
• Oriental PlazaTourist Attraction
• Pretoria National Zoo Tourist Attraction
• Robben IslandTourist Attraction
• SowetoTourist Attraction
• Sun CityTourist Attraction
• Table MountainTourist Attraction
• The India QuarterTourist Attraction
• Victoria and Alfred WaterfrontTourist Attraction
• Voortrekker MonumentTourist Attraction