- Political history:

• Colonial presence

A fleet of Portuguese ships under Vasco da Gama in 1497, searching for an alternative route to the Silk Road, successfully passed the Cape of Storms, later renamed the Cape of Good Hope. The Portuguese were the only foreigners in South Africa until 1652. Until 1652, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Cape Town. In 1795 and 1806, British military attacks led to the migration of Dutch people to various parts of South Africa.

The discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa led to the presence of Britain and the subsequent Boer War (Dutch people) and the British. In the first war, which took place between 1880 and 1881, the Boers were victorious, However, the Second Anglo-Boer War between 1899 and 1902 led to the defeat of the Boers and the formation of a unified country under British colonial rule. South Africa became an independent country under the British Empire in 1934. During the two world wars, the country did not hesitate to provide assistance in the field of manpower and infrastructure, alongside Britain.

• Formation of the Apartheid Government

Racial segregation, officially called apartheid, was implemented from 1948, when Afrikaner nationalists came to power. In that year, the South African National Party came to power through a vote and began to formulate and implement a series of laws based on racial segregation.

On December 16, 1966, the United Nations General Assembly declared apartheid a crime against humanity, and the Convention against Apartheid was adopted in 1973. The Convention entered into force in 1976. South Africa's membership in the United Nations was suspended in 1974, and in 1977, an arms embargo on South Africa was adopted by the United Nations Security Council.

Although the revolutionary struggles with socialist and liberationist tendencies had begun in the 1950s, they began in the 1960s with the crimes of apartheid against liberationists in an illegal and military manner. Strong international and domestic pressure led to the reconciliation talks, which had begun in the late 1980s, leading to an improvement in conditions for blacks in 1991. After the release of Nelson Mandela, who had been elected leader of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1991, and the positive vote of white South Africans for democracy in the country, the process of negotiating a new South African constitution began in 1992. In 1994, the first free and general elections were held, and the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of the votes. At that time, the African National Congress (ANC) won almost two-thirds of the vote.

• Establishment of Democracy

Nelson Mandela was sworn in as President of South Africa on 10 May 1994. Thabo Mbeki, a senior official of the African National Congress, and de Klerk were elected as the two deputy presidents, and a government of national unity was formed. Since then, seven general elections have been held with the participation of all South Africans.

- Political structure:

• Head of State (Executive Branch): Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa assumed the presidency on 15 February 2018, when Jacob Zuma stepped down, and was elected to this position in the 2019 elections and served as president until 29 May 2024. He was re-elected as President of South Africa in 2024. The president is elected for a term of 5 years and a maximum of two terms through indirect popular election. The last national elections were held on 29 May 2024 (9 Khordad 1403) and because the ANC party, which had always had a majority of votes until then, failed to win 50% of the votes, it formed the Government of National Unity (GNU) with the participation of 10 parties.
• Legislative branch: Parliament consists of two houses: the National Assembly (400 representatives) and the National Council of Provinces (90 representatives). The term of parliament is 5 years and each of the 9 provinces is governed by a legislative assembly.
• Judiciary: The structure of the South African judiciary consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Courts and the Trial Courts.
• Major political parties in the South African Parliament: In the last general election on 29 May 2024, the composition of the South African Parliament consisted of the following parties:

* African National Congress (ANC) led by Cyril Ramaphosa 40.52% of the vote (159 seats in Parliament)

* Democratic Alliance (DA) led by Jan Steenhuizen 22.21% of the vote (87 seats in parliament)

* Men's Alliance (MK) led by Jacob Zuma (former president) 14.63% of the vote (58 seats in parliament)

* Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by Julius Malema 9.86% of the vote (39 seats in parliament)

* In this election, 18 parties managed to enter parliament. The final turnout was 58.64%.

- Military structure: The South African National Defence Force is divided into four branches: The Army, Air Force, Navy and the South African Military Medical Service.

 -Foreign Policy:

 South Africa’s foreign policy, over the past three decades following the end of the apartheid regime, has been relatively based on balanced diplomacy. While South Africa’s economic structure is more aligned with the West, its foreign policy places special emphasis on maintaining relations with the African continent, including the African Union and the Global South. South Africa considers itself committed to adhering to international laws and norms, including the United Nations Charter and human rights.

In 2010, South Africa joined the BRICS group of countries. Its objective is to strengthen multilateralism, increase geopolitical influence, and act as a representative of the African continent on the global stage. Within this framework, and based on ethical and legal principles, South Africa supports the Palestinian people.

This stance became more prominent following the war of October 7, 2023. On December 29, 2023, South Africa submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and initiated legal proceedings against Israel. On January 26, 2024, the ICJ issued an order for provisional measures against Israel. Subsequently, the Court issued two additional provisional measures, at South Africa’s request, on March 28, 2024, and May 24, 2024. In October 2024, South Africa submitted a 750-page document to the ICJ containing evidence and documentation of alleged genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.