SOUTH AFRICA

[Guest]

.

[Amy-in-PHX]

I just started a thread for Kiva's new Field Partner in South Africa.  This thread is for "Kiva Countries" type information regarding South Africa itself.  OK, foodies, art mavens, dance aficianados, and others curious about cultures of foreign countries - post away!

South Africa "Country Profile" from bbcnews.com:

Diversity is a key feature of South Africa, where 11 languages are recognised as official, where community leaders include rabbis and chieftains, rugby players and returned exiles, where traditional healers ply their trade around the corner from stockbrokers and where housing ranges from mud huts to palatial homes with swimming pools.

Overview
Until 1994 South Africa was ruled by a white minority government which was so determined to hang onto power that it took activists most of the last century before they succeeded in their fight to get rid of apartheid and extend democracy to the rest of the population.

The white government which came to power in 1948 enforced a separation of races with its policy called apartheid. It dictated that black and white communities should live in separate areas, travel in different buses and stand in their own queues.

The government introduced grand social engineering schemes such as the forced resettlement of hundreds of thousands of people. It poisoned and bombed opponents and encouraged trouble in neighbouring countries.

The apartheid government eventually negotiated itself out of power, and the new leadership encouraged reconciliation. But the cost of the years of conflict will be paid for a long time yet, not least in terms of lawlessness, social disruption and lost education.

South Africa faces major problems, but having held four successful national elections as well as local polls since the end of white rule, a democratic culture appears to be taking hold, allowing people at least some say in the search for solutions.

Very much Africa's superpower, South Africa has the continent's biggest economy, though this went into recession in May 2009 following a sharp slowdown in the mining and manufacturing sectors. The construction industry, on the other hand, has benefited from a huge programme of government investment ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

Facts
•Full name: Republic of South Africa
•Population: 50.5 million (UN, 2010)
•Capitals: Pretoria (executive capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
•Largest city: Johannesburg
•Area: 1.22 million sq km (470,693 sq miles)
•Major languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu
•Major religion: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs
•Life expectancy: 52 years (men), 54 years (women)
•Monetary unit: 1 Rand = 100 cents
•Main exports: Gold, diamonds, metals and minerals, cars, machinery
•GNI per capita: US $5,770 (World Bank, 2009)
•Internet domain: .za
•International dialling code: +27

Leaders
President: Jacob Zuma

The leader of the ANC, Jacob Zuma, was officially chosen as the country's president by the newly-elected parliament in May 2009.

Born to a Zulu family in 1942, Mr Zuma has spent his entire adult life since 1959 in the service of the ANC. He joined its armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1962 and was arrested the following year. He spent ten years in prison for conspiracy to overthrow the apartheid-era government.

After his release he left South Africa and was a leading figure in the ANC abroad until he returned home in 1990 to take part in the talks that brought apartheid to an end.

Mr Zuma was prominent in promoting the ANC among Zulus who had voted for the Inkatha Freedom Party in the first free elections in 1994, and was consistently elected to senior ANC posts. In 1999, he became the deputy president of South Africa under President Thabo Mbeki.

Mr Zuma's standing in the country fell rapidly after he was named in a corruption case related to a controversial arms deal, and President Mbeki dismissed him from the deputy presidency in 2005. Prosecutors then brought corruption charges against him, and shortly afterwards he was charged with rape.

He was acquitted of the rape charge the following year, and his support on the populist left of the party ensured that he was able to defeat President Mbeki in elections for the ANC leadership in December 2007.

Mr Zuma looked set to become president of South Africa after the 2009 parliamentary elections, but the corruption allegations persisted. It was not until April 2009 - weeks before the parliamentary polls - that state prosecutors finally threw out the charges on the grounds that there had been political interference.

The opposition said this was a technicality and that Mr Zuma ought to answer the charges in court. Nonetheless, he led the ANC to a convincing election victory and was duly inaugurated on 9 May.

Media
South Africa is the continent's major media player, and its many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population.

Established state-run and commercial TV networks broadcast nationally, and hundreds of thousands of viewers subscribe to satellite and cable pay-TV services.

Deregulation in 1996 led to a proliferation of radio stations. Listeners in Johannesburg alone can choose from among some 40 radio services, from the national broadcasts of the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to community stations targeting local neighbourhoods or ethnic groups.

The constitution provides for freedom of the press, and this is generally respected. Laws, regulation and political control of media content are considered to be moderate and there is little evidence of repressive measures against journalists.

Newspapers and magazines publish reports and comment critical of the government, and the state-owned SABC is far more independent now than during the apartheid era. However, in 2009 the SABC was plagued by a string of scandals and a series of high-level resignations. The broadcaster had become mired in a financial crisis.

There were 5.3 million internet users by 2009, comprising around 10% of the population (World Wide Worx study, 2010). Analysts say prohibitive access costs have hampered mass take-up.

[Amy-in-PHX]

The nine provinces of South Africa
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape

From South Africa's Dept of Environmental Affairs, text that goes with map of 10 poorest municipalities in the country:
"The spatial distribution of the poor across municipalities is shown in the map. Seven of the ten poorest municipalities are located in the Eastern Cape, two in Limpopo, and one in the Free State. These rural areas correspond with the former ‘homelands’, and a disproportionate number of South Africa’s poor reside there."

Regrettably, I do not have the talent to make the map itself appear here.  I hope the identification of the provinces is helpful.  Further info is here:  http://soer.deat.gov.za/300.html

[DoubleR]

Regrettably, I do not have the talent to make the map itself appear here.  I hope the identification of the provinces is helpful.  Further info is here:  http://soer.deat.gov.za/300.html

From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_South_Africa_with_English_labels.svg

[Amy-in-PHX]

South African music legend - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

[Amy-in-PHX]

South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela dedicates a song to
all South African women, especially his grandmother, here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/vusi_mahlasela_sings_thula_mama.html

Why you should listen to him:

Vusi Mahlasela has dedicated his life to using music and words to inspire change. As a young boy in South Africa, he was routinely watched by the police because of his anti-apartheid poetry and his open support of student protest. During the final fight against apartheid, his songs of protest and solidarity became anthems -- stirring the South African people to create their new nation.

His lyrics touch on themes of love, family, hope and pride. Working with his own band and an international crew of genre-bending musicians, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo and fellow South African Dave Matthews, Mahlasela crafts a rich, propulsive sound that helps his words reach directly into the heart.

His latest album is Guiding Star (2007), of which Dirty Linen magazine says:

"Contributions by Dave Matthews, Australian didjeridu player Xavier Rudd, Welsh singer/songwriter Jem, and slide guitarist Derek Trucks transforms Guiding Star into an Earth-spanning celebration, but they only enhance Mahlasela's Garfunkel-meets-Marley vocals, harp-like guitar fingerpicking, and mastery of his homeland's diverse musical traditions."

"Despite the fact that his songs are frequently filled with political subtext and despite his personal familiarity with the horrors of apartheid, his performances are optimistic and soulful, delivered with an intensity that captures the attention and embraces the heart."
Don Heckman, LA Times

Above quote is from this page on TED.com:  http://www.ted.com/speakers/vusi_mahlasela.html

[Amy-in-PHX]

EDIT:  Tonight I clicked on the link I had here, to the Brenda Fassie song, "Vuli Ndlela" on kewego.com, and found that it was not working any longer.  Sorry about that, if you tried it and it didn't work for you!  I found the same video on YouTube, and re-posted it later in the thread.  Two other Brenda Fassie songs that were in this post as originally written, still appear immediately below.  (Both are YouTube videos.)

Nomakhanjani




Nakupenda

[Amy-in-PHX]

Vusi Mahlasela performing "Say Africa" at the World Cup kickoff concert in 2010:

[Amy-in-PHX]

Zulu dancers put on a show (Travel Channel video):




A Zulu wedding dance:

[Amy-in-PHX]

Bobotie
(South African curried meat casserole)

Bobotie is a very old South African dish with probable origins in Indonesia or Malaysia. The name derives from the Indonesian "bobotok," and the dish was likely adapted by Dutch traders and brought back to the region around Cape Town. Every South African cook has his or her own favorite version of this dish, some very simple, others quite elaborate. Bobotie is typically served with geelrys (yellow rice) and a side of mango chutney.  [A recipe for geelrys is posted later in this thread.]

6 to 8 servings
Ingredients

    Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
    Onions, thinly sliced -- 2
    Ground beef -- 2 pounds
    White bread, crust removed and cut into cubes -- 2-3 slices
    Milk -- 1 cup
    Vinegar or lemon juice -- 1/4 cup
    Raisins -- 1/2 cup
    Sugar -- 2 tablespoons
    Curry powder -- 1-2 tablespoons
    Turmeric -- 1 teaspoons
    Salt and pepper -- to season
    Bay leaves -- 5
    Eggs, beaten -- 2

Method

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add the onions and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown. Add the ground beef and break it up while sautéing until cooked through and crumbly. Remove from heat, drain of any excess fat and place in a large bowl.

    Put the bread and milk in a bowl and soak for 5-10 minutes. Remove the bread and squeeze it dry, adding squeezed milk back into the bowl.

    Preheat oven to 325°F. Add the soaked bread, vinegar or lemon juice, raisins, sugar, curry powder, turmeric, salt and pepper to the bowl with the cooked meat and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. The meat should have a pleasantly sweet-sour flavor.

    Pour the meat mixture into a greased casserole dish and smooth out the top. Lay the bay leaves over the meat in a decorative pattern and press down lightly to make them stick. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

    Beat the eggs with the reserved bread-soaking milk. After the meat has baked for 30 minutes, pour the egg-milk mixture over the top of the meat and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is set and lightly browned.

    Remove from the oven and serve hot with geelrys and mango chutney.


Variations

    Add a couple tablespoons of mango chutney or apricot preserves to the meat if you like. A grated apple is also sometimes added.
    Stir a handful of toasted, slivered almonds into the meat mixture before cooking, or garnish the finished dish with toasted almonds.
    One or two beaten eggs can also be stirred into the meat mixture if you like.
    Substitute lemon leaves for the bay leaves if you can find them.
    Use ground lamb in place of the beef.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Sosaties
(South African curry-marinated lamb and apricot kebabs)

Sweet and sour with the subtle spice of curry, sosaties are one of the great braai (barbecue) foods of South Africa and a hallmark of Cape Malay cuisine. This recipe for lamb kebabs was brought to the country by Malaysian laborers. Start the recipe mid-week for a weekend braai; the meat should marinate 3 days for best flavor.

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
    Lamb or mutton, cut into cubes -- 3 pounds
    Dried apricots -- 1 1/2 cups
    Oil -- 3 tablespoons
    Onions, chopped -- 2
    Garlic, crushed -- 2 or 3 cloves
    Curry powder -- 1 tablespoon
    Vinegar -- 3/4 cup
    Water or red or white wine -- 3/4 cup
    Apricot jam or tamarind paste -- 2 tablespoons
    Brown sugar -- 2 tablespoons
    Bay leaves -- 2
    Salt and pepper -- to taste
    Wooden or bamboo skewers


Method

    1.  Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium flame. Add the onions and saute until translucent, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder and saute for another minute or so.
    2.  Add the vinegar, water or wine, jam or tamarind paste, brown sugar and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lightly thickened, 5 or 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    3.  Place the lamb and apricots in a large, non-reactive bowl. Pour the cooked marinade over the lamb and apricots and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day, preferably up to 3 days.
    4.  Prepare your grill. Remove the lamb cubes and apricots from the marinade and thread on skewers that have been soaked in water. Alternate between chunks of lamb and the apricots.
    5.  Grill the skewers on a hot grill, turning to cook on all sides. Cook for about 8 minutes for medium-rare and up to 15 minutes for well-done (the more commonly preferred doneness in South Africa).
    6.  While the skewers are grilling, bring the marinade to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Serve hot in a bowl as a sauce for the sosaties along with sides of pap or geelrys [recipes for "ugali," which is another word for pap, and geelrys, follow in this thread].


Variations

•     Meats: Lamb or mutton are traditional. Chunks of sheeptail fat were originally included on the skewers to baste the meat and keep it most. These days pork fat, salt pork or fatty bacon are more common. It is also common to replace up to a third of the lamb with pork. This, of course, goes against the recipe's origins in Muslim Malaysia. Beef could certainly replace the lamb, but no self-respecting South African would take that route. Chicken works very well too, but the result would properly be called kebabs, not sosaties.
•     Spices and Flavorings: Vary the flavor of the curry marinade with any number of additions or variations. Try adding raisins or minced fresh ginger. Curry or lemon leaves can replace the bay leaves. Add a little ground coriander, cumin or turmeric along with the curry powder. Bump up the heat with a big pinch of ground chile powder or chile flakes.
•     Vegetables: Marinate small onions and chunks of bell peppers with the meat and impale on their own skewers for an easy vegetable accompaniment to your sosaties.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Geelrys
(South African yellow rice with raisins)

Geelrys is one of many South African dishes with roots in the Dutch East Indies. This sunny yellow side dish is the traditional accompaniment to bobotie.

4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
    Water or stock -- 4 cups
    Long-grain rice -- 2 1/2 cups
    Turmeric -- 1 teaspoon
    Cinnamon stick -- 1
    Ground cinnamon -- 1/2 teaspoon
    Sugar -- 1-2 tablespoons
    Salt and pepper -- to taste
    Raisins -- 1/2 cup

Method

    1.  Add the water or stock to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
    2.  Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for another 5-10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick, fluff with a fork and serve hot.


Variations

    Golden raisins (sultanas) work very with this dish.
    Use brown sugar if you like.
    Stir 1-2 tablespoons of butter into the cooked rice at the end.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Ugali
(African cornmeal mush)

Known as ugali in Kenya and Tanzania, this starchy, porridge-like side dish goes by different names in sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi and Zambia it is called nsima or nshima. The South African name for it is pap or mealie pap. Zimbabweans call it sadza.

4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
    Water -- 4 cups
    Salt -- 2 teaspoons
    White cornmeal, finely ground -- 2 cups

Method

    1.  Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly, letting it fall though the fingers of your hand.
    2.  Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat.
    3.  Place the ugali into a large serving bowl. Wet your hands with water, form into a ball and serve.

Variations
    White cornmeal is the most commonly used grain for ugali. But you can substitute sorghum, millet or coarse cassava flour or even hominy grits.
    More or less water can be added to achieve the consistency you prefer.
    Stir in a little butter if you like for a richer flavor.

Notes
    Ugali is usually served as an accompaniment to meat or vegetable stews, greens or soured milk. To eat ugali, pull off a small ball of mush with your fingers. Form an indentation with your thumb, and use it to scoop up accompanying stews and other dishes. Or you can form larger balls with your hands or an ice cream scoop, place them in individual serving bowls and spoon stew around them.

    Cornmeal mush is also found in Caribbean creole cuisine and was certainly brought there by imported slaves. On the islands of Curaçao and Aruba it is known as funchi, funjie in the Virgin Islands. In Antigua and Donimica it is called fungi. Haitians make mayi moulin.

[Amy-in-PHX]

For anyone who did not recognize Ladysmith Black Mambazo from my earlier post in this thread, I wanted to post here the link to the video of the group performing "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," from the "Graceland" album, with Paul Simon, in concert.  Being on that album with Paul Simon was the group's big break into international fame, I believe.

Does anyone remember when Graceland was released?  I think early 1980's, but I'm not good at exact dates when it comes to music.  Anyway, here it is, and it's well worth a listen, IMO.

[Amy-in-PHX]

Brenda Fassie, performing "Vuli Ndlela" (video that shows her dancing with Nelson Mandela)


Lyrics in English:
(This translation of the above song's lyrics was provided in a comment on YouTube):

Open the gates, Miss Gossip My baby boy Is getting married today Open the gates please
Don't be jealous My son has had a good catch I never thought I'd see a daughter in law
My son has been accepted (woman said yes) Help us finish the ceremony (you are welcome)
Come to the wedding, I'm taking my son to the altar today People said my son is not
attractive to women  People said he would never get married but open the gates

[Amy-in-PHX]

Peoples and Languages

South Africa is known for a diversity in cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution.[10] Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans, and South African English. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language.[10]

South Africa is ethnically diverse. About 79.5% of the South African population is of black African ancestry,[4] divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status.[10] South Africa also contains the largest communities of European, Asian, and racially mixed ancestry in Africa.
[Above came from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa]



South Africans have been referred to as the 'rainbow nation', a title which epitomises the country's cultural diversity. The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. Of the 45 million South Africans, nearly 31 million are Black, 5 million White, 3 million Coloured and one million Indian. The population density is 32.9 people per km².

The Black population is divided into four major ethnic groups, namely Nguni, Sotho, Shangaan-Tsonga and Venda. There are numerous subgroups of which the Zulu and Xhosa (two subgroups of the Nguni) are the largest. The majority of the White population is of Afrikaans descent (60%), with many of the remaining 40% being of British descent. Most of the Coloured population live in the Northern and Western Cape provinces, whilst most of the Indian population lives in KwaZulu Natal. The Afrikaner population is concentrated in the Gauteng and Free State provinces and the English population in the Western and Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal.

There are eleven official languages in South Africa, namely English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sepedi, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Zulu, Swazi and Tsonga. View more information about each (see link below), including the origins of the language and where it is spoken in South Africa. Also see South Africanisms and useful Xhosa phrases and Zulu phrases.

More, including photographs of a member of each ethnic group in traditional dress, here:
  http://www.sa-venues.com/sa_languages_and_culture.htm

[FoxyOxy]

Annie Lennox has made a series of videos about HIV/AIDS in South Africa which are absolutely heart-rending.  If you are interested, you can view some of them at the link below (these particular videos focus on one particular 'child-centered household' - a household where a 15 year-old boy is basically caring for his younger siblings on his own because their parents both died from AIDS:
http://youtu.be/hgfdfzjG6Yg

However, I also wanted to share this video which I received a link to this morning.  As I can't watch the videos above without crying, I was much cheered to watch this video of Vilele (the youngest child in the family) dancing which made me cry with happiness instead of sadness.  It really cheered up my morning.  What a little mover!
http://youtu.be/Afemee5YOxU

[Skimmis]

Annie Lennox has made a series of videos about HIV/AIDS in South Africa which are absolutely heart-rending.  If you are interested, you can view some of them at the link below (these particular videos focus on one particular 'child-centered household' - a household where a 15 year-old boy is basically caring for his younger siblings on his own because their parents both died from AIDS:
http://youtu.be/hgfdfzjG6Yg

However, I also wanted to share this video which I received a link to this morning.  As I can't watch the videos above without crying, I was much cheered to watch this video of Vilele (the youngest child in the family) dancing which made me cry with happiness instead of sadness.  It really cheered up my morning.  What a little mover!
http://youtu.be/Afemee5YOxU

http://www.botshabelo.org/

Our Mission

Botshabelo, founded by Marion and Con Cloete in 1990, is dedicated to improving the lives of the economically challenged, especially children who have been orphaned by or exposed to HIV/AIDS. Using the traditional African village (and its inherent ubuntu values of cooperation and joint responsibility) as a model, the community works together to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope, safety, education and sustainable growth to all residents.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=202572310303&ref=ts
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494203/

[Skimmis]

http://botshabelosangels.blogspot.com/

Botshabelo's Angels

At Botshabelo, our philosophy is to help anyone who needs it, regardless of background or age. If someone comes to us for help, we can’t turn them away, whether they are an adult, a child or even an animal. Our goal is to alleviate poverty and be the model village of Africa. Everyone at Botshabelo – the founders, the villagers, students and volunteers – lives and works together as a family towards that goal. We are dedicated and optimistic. We face challenges, not problems.

[Jill]

Hey FoxyOxy, Hey Skimmis,

I loved little Vilele.  Just loved him.

And as far as Angels in the Dust, Botshabelo and Marion Cloete go, I have loved loved LOVED them, too, since the middle of 2008, when I first learned about the incredible work they do at Botshabelo.  That was when I first learned about the total and almost godlike love with which they embrace these little kids who, otherwise, would have been doomed to the saddest and most desperate of lives.

Thank you for your posts, both of them. (Edit: for all 3 of them).

I’ve got a question, one that I think I've asked here before, but which, at the time, failed to generate any public response.  Here it is:

I’m wondering if anyone has done any kind of investigation for anticipatory donating purposes, to discover which of the near infinite AIDS charities, particularly, children’s AIDS charities, might be the best, or at least one of the best for delivering goods and services directly to their constituents?  I mean, when we donate money to this or that charity, we do it with the hope that they’re going to make the best and most effective use of our donated dollars possible, right?  

So, besides Botshabelo, or maybe even better than Bothabelo, (if there is such a thing, which is almost difficult to conceive of) does anyone have any other favorite children’ AIDS charities that they feel reasonably confident about?  I’d really appreciate any input that any of you might be able to offer.


As an aside, I’d thought, but wasn’t sure that I had posted awhile ago about that DVD, Angels in the Dust because I’d loved it so much.  Wasn’t able to find any posts about it, by me, when I used it as a search term, using the search feature that I think is so useful here.  So, I started at the end of the Movies thead and skimmed over the various offerings, page by page.  Just wanted to tell you that there are some really special, life-elevating videos* suggested by Kiva Friends in posts throughout that thread.  If you haven’t spent much time there, yet, or even recently, there are some real treasures to be found there.  You might want to check them out.


EDIT: And thank you, Amy, especially for your dance and music posts here.  I'm sure, for me, that it all started with Nelson Mandela, but there's something about the South African people that just touches me.  And I love their music.

EDIT #2: * Speaking of life-elevating films, I’d been intending to tell you that the documentary, Waste Land, which I wrote about in a different thread, is going to be shown on PBS’s Independent Lens feature, this coming Tuesday night.  You should check your local listings.

For those of you outside the U.S. or who do not watch PBS, or TV, generally, I’m close to certain that the film will be available online for free viewing for one week, at the PBS website, following their screening of it this coming Tuesday.  It’s really a special film.  The people in it, the ones who live and work in a Brazilian garbage dump, actually, are quite beautiful and inspiring.

[Skimmis]

You find the whole movie in full quality at http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Angels-in-the-Dust-2007-DVDRip-XviD/4032d295582e9b7ab74082236cda6822c648896bdcd8
You then need to install a bit torrent program first, like for examle http://tribler.org

the full video in reduced quality
www.video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1930832824317690769#




Should wou want to read more, contact them or donate:
http://www.botshabelo.org/

[Amy-in-PHX]

News coverage of South Africa's first election with universal suffrage of persons aged 18 and older, on the 26th-27th April 1994, follows.  I was looking for video of South Africans, dancing as they waited in line at the polling places.  When I think of South Africans that is the image that comes to my mind.  I remember seeing that on the news, but was unable to find any video like that preserved on the Internet.  (I wonder whether I imagined it, or got confused.)  Anyway, 27 April is a national holiday in South Africa, called Freedom Day.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLfisznL0zk&NR=1

[Amy-in-PHX]

There is a website by South Africans, which contains a wealth of information about the country.  Here is an excerpt from its "About" page, together with a link to the site.
http://www.southafrica.co.za/about-us/

South Africa Online. It’s the most famous and well-used top level domain in South Africa. In fact, if you use the search term ’south africa’ when searching in one of the big search engines (Ask, Bing, Google and Yahoo), you will find that South Africa Online often features in the top ten results from tens of millions of pages!  Established in September 1996, South Africa Online is a widely acknowledged entry point for people anywhere seeking information on South Africa due to its large and comprehensive site directory and easy to remember URL. Currently the directory contains over 17,000 web sites, all “human-edited” and neatly categorised. Highly popular additional services include a postal code search and a foreign-exchange rates table.