South Africa’s government

SOUTH Africa is a country with a president as its head of state. Other countries, such as Spain and Britain, have a monarch – a king or queen – as their head. Today most monarchs can’t make decisions about the governing of their country – instead the power lies with parliament.

Some countries, such as North Korea, are ruled by a dictator – someone who rules alone and holds all the power.

Let’s find out more about our government and how it differs from other political systems.

THREE CAPITAL CITIES

SA has three capital cities strategically spread across the country. Each hosts a different section of the government. The ministries (executive authority) are