Sudáfrica

República de Sudáfrica

SÍMBOLOS

Bandera

The national flag was designed by a former South African State Herald, Mr Fred Brownell, and was first used on 27 April 1994. The design and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country’s flag history. Individual colours, or colour combinations represent different meanings for different people and therefore no universal symbolism should be attached to any of the colours.

The design of the National Flag is described in the Schedule to Proclamation no. 70, 1994 as published in Government Gazette no. 15663 of 20 April 1994.

The central design of the flag, beginning at the flagpost in a ‘V’ form and flowing into a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity. The theme of convergence and unity ties in with the motto Unity is Strength of the previous South African Coat of Arms.

Detalles técnicos – Colour specifications

Textile colours

Green – CKS 42 c Spectrum green
Black – CKS 401 c Blue black
White – CKS 701 c National flag white
Gold – CKS 724 c Gold yellow
Red – CKS 750 c Chilli red
Blue – CKS 762 c National flag blue

Approximate Pantone equivalents

Green – 3415 c
Gold 1235 c
Red 179 c
Blue reflex blue c

Normativa de uso

Specific instructions with regard to the use of the national flag can be found in the Government Gazette 22356, Notice 510 of 8 June 2001.

When the flag is displayed vertically against a wall, the red band should be to the left of the viewer with the hoist or the cord seam at the top. When it is displayed horizontally, the hoist should be to the left of the viewer and the red band at the top.

When the flag is displayed next to or behind the speaker at a meeting, it must be placed to the speaker’s right. When it is placed elsewhere in the meeting place, it should be to the right of the audience.

Escudo

According to the South African government official webpage, South Africa’s Coat of Arms was launched on Freedom Day, 27 April 2000. The change reflected government’s aim to highlight the democratic change in South Africa and a new sense of patriotism.

The motto is: !ke e: /xarra //ke, written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, literally meaning diverse people unite. It addresses each individual effort to harness the unity between thought and action. On a collective scale it calls for the nation to unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride – unity in diversity.

For further information about the use of the Coat of Arms, please refer to the following document, issued by the South African government: Using the Coat of Arms.

Himno

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission school teacher. The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. Seven additional stanzas in Xhoza were later added by the poet, Samuel Mqhayi. A Sesotho version was published by Moses Mphahlele in 1942. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was popularised at concerts held in Johannesburg by Reverend JL Dube’s Ohlange Zulu Choir. It became a popular church hymn that was later adopted as an anthem at political meetings. It was sung as an act of defiance during the Apartheid years.

Die Stem van Suid-Afrika is a poem written by CJ Langenhoven in May 1918. The music was composed by the Reverend ML de Villiers in 1921. The South African Broadcasting Corporation played both God save the King and Die Stem to close their daily broadcasts and the public became familiar with it.

A proclamation issued by the (then) State President on 20 April 1994 in terms of the provisions of Section 248 (1) together with Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 (Act 200 of 1993), stated that the Republic of South Africa would have two national anthems. They were Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika). In terms of Section 4 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), and following a proclamation in the Government Gazette No. 18341 (dated 10 October 1997), a shortened, combined version of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and The Call of South Africa is now the national anthem of South Africa.

Letra y música.

This is the official version of the national anthem, combining Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and Die Stem/The Call of South Africa, with a translation in English given in brackets:

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika
(God Bless Africa)
Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo,
(Raise high Her glory)
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
(Hear our Prayers)
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.
(God bless us, we her children)

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
(God protect our nation)
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
(End all wars and tribulations)
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
(Protect us, protect our nation)
Setjhaba sa South Afrika – South Afrika
(Our nation South Africa – South Africa)

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
(Ringing out from our blue heavens)
Uit die diepte van ons see,
(From the depth of our seas)
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
(Over our everlasting mountains)
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
(Where the echoing crags resound)

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

The National Anthem should be recited with appropriate respect. All should stand to attention with their hands placed at their sides while singing the National Anthem. Civilians should take their hats off as a sign of respect.

The Official Anthem of South Africa can be listened here.


PRECEDENCIAS

The implementation of the National Official Table of Precedence at Parliament and provincial legislatures is important. Determining precedence in the South African State is binding for the whole legislative sector as the legislative authority in the national and provincial spheres of government. 

The National and Provincial Official Table of Precedence are a reflection of the seniority accorded to different groups and positions in South African society is compiled by The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa. The criteria applied by The Presidency in determining seniority have been duties, competencies and responsibilities. If the seniority of two office bearers is equal to two or more categories, salary is taken into consideration.

Amendments to the National and Provincial Official Table of Precedence can only be effected by the President of the Republic of South Africa and will be published in the Government Gazette.

The National and Provincial Official Table of Precedence16 was last issued and published in 1996 following changes in state structures brought about by the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996. Subsequently, further developments in structures of the state, such as the establishment in Parliament of the office of House Chairperson, and reports of commissions appointed by the state on matters with relevance to the seniority of office bearers have made the 1996 National and Provincial Official Table of Precedence outdated and in need of review.

The National Official Table of Precedence

The National Official Table of Precedence of 1996 is as follows:

  1. The President of the Republic of South Africa or the Acting President
  2. The Deputy President and the President-elect (for the period between his or her election and assumption of office)
  3. The Chief Justice, or the Acting Chief Justice, and the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the Acting President of the Supreme Court of Appeal
  4. Former Presidents of the Republic of South Africa, in order of seniority
  5. Former Deputy Presidents, in order of seniority
  6. Cabinet Ministers, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and Premiers of the respective provinces, in order of seniority
  7. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (officiating), High Commissioners and Apostolic Nuncios or Pro-Nuncios, in order of seniority
  8. Envoys (Representatives) Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary (officiating), in order of seniority
  9. Chargé d’Affaires en titre (usually a diplomatic secretary, counsellor or minister – who heads a diplomatic mission (e.g., an embassy) in the absence of its titular head (e.g., an ambassador). in order of seniority
  10. Heads of other permanent diplomatic missions, in order of seniority
  11. Deputy Ministers, Members of the Executive Councils and Speakers of Provincial Legislatures, in order of seniority
  12. The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, in order of seniority
  13. The Chief Whip of the majority party in the National Assembly and the Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces, and Deputy Speakers of Provincial Legislatures, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Counsellor of the President,
    in order of seniority
  14. The Secretary of the Cabinet and the Chief of the National Defence Force
  15. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of embassies, in order of seniority
  16. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of legations, in order of seniority
  17. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of other permanent diplomatic missions, in order of seniority
  18. Leaders of the different political parties in the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces, in order of seniority
  19. The Deputy Chief Justice and the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal
  20. Judges of Appeal, in order of seniority
  21. Judges of the Constitutional Court, in order of seniority
  22. Judges President, in order of seniority
  23. Deputy Judges President, in order of seniority
  24. Judges of the Supreme Court, in order of seniority
  25.  Former Chief Justices, in order of seniority
  26. Chairpersons of the commissions established under The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, in order of seniority
  27. Members of the National Assembly and of the National Council of Provinces, in order of seniority
  28. Members of the provincial legislative authorities, in order of seniority
  29. Local royalties, in order of seniority
  30. The Chairperson of the National Council for Traditional Leaders
  31. Chairpersons of the Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders, in order of seniority
  32. The Auditor-General, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission and the Public Protector, in order of seniority
  33. Members of the Public Service Commission, in order of seniority
  34. Directors-General and their equivalents of government departments, including the Secretary to the National Assembly and the Secretary to the National Council of Provinces, the Secretary for Safety and Security, the Secretary for Defence and Directors-General of the respective provinces, in order of
    seniority
  35.  Attorneys-General, in order of seniority
  36. Chairpersons of state corporations, in order of seniority
  37. The mayor of the capital of the province in which the function is held
  38. Chairpersons of the Metropolitan Councils of the region in which the function is held
  39. Mayors of provincial capitals, with the seniority according to the grade in which the local authority is categorised
  40. The spouses of the foregoing persons (or in the case of single or divorced persons or widowers or widows, the persons officially recognised by the government as their hosts or hostesses) enjoy the precedence of their spouse mentioned in the table (or the persons for whom they act as host or hostess)
  41. Persons who do not appear in this table may, on special occasions, be accorded courtesy precedence by the President of the Republic of South Africa

The Provincial Table of Precedence

The Provincial Table of Precedence is derived from the National Table of Precedence but extracted to only include provincial persons.

  1. The Premier
  2. MECs in order of seniority
  3. Provincial Speaker
  4. Members of the Provincial Legislature
  5. Chief Whips of political parties
  6. Judges, in order of their seniority
  7. Former Judges
  8. Chairpersons of Commissions
  9. Royal families
  10. Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders
  11. State institutions, e.g. Auditor General and Public Protector
  12. Director-General
  13. Former MECs, Speaker and so forth
  14. Former Chairpersons of standing committees and members
  15. Mayors in order of the seniority
  16. Partner/Spouse of the aforementioned persons

LEGISLACIÓN

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 (Act 200 of 1993). Disponible aquí.

Schedule to Proclamation no. 70, 1994. Design of the National Flag.

Government Gazette 22356, Notice 510 of 8 June 2001, specific instructions with regard to the use of the national flag. Disponible aquí.

Government Gazette 16919 of 12 December 1996 Notice 20. Issue of The National and Provincial Official Table of Precedence. 

Government Gazette No. 18341 (dated 10 October 1997). Proclamation of a shortened, combined version of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and The Call of South Africa as the national anthem of South Africa


DOCUMENTOS

Para facilidad de consulta, se anexan los siguientes documentos en pdf:

  • International Relations and Protocol, a handbook for Members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures (2014). Disponible aquí.
  • The National Identity, Information booklet about the South African identity. Disponible aquí.
  • South African National Anthem (sheet music). Disponible aquí.

ENLACES DE INTERÉS