DEMOCRACY Flashcards
What is DEMOCRACY
It is when the ordinary people of the country has a say in how the country is ruled. The citizens choose their leaders by voting for them in an election.
Where does the word DEMOCRACY come from
Greek word - Demos, means people - Kratos means power
What is Citizenship
When you have a South African ID book/card
What happens at Parliament?
Where leaders gather to discuss things
Where laws are made to apply to the country
Why do we need laws?
That we can live in peace and harmony and everybody be treated fairly
What are laws?
It’s rules that everybody must obey
What rules does a Democracy have
- All citizens have freedom and equal rights
- All citizens must obey the laws of the country, respect others
- The government must respect the constitution and citizens rights
What happened towards 1980’s with apartheid and made FW de Klerk discuss changes that would take place
- The Goverment realised that they could not continue with the apartheid policies
- Resistance toward the SA goverment grew stronger in the country and people
- Countries all over the world were apposed to SA Government
What party did FW de Klerk belong to?
The National Party
What did FW de KLERK speak about in Parliament and explain a bit.
In what year was this? (8)
In 1990 FW DE KLERK spoke about
- No seperate facilities - no more only whites or non whites facilities, everybody could use the same facilities, eg. bathrooms.
- Newspaper, tv, radio can report freely, they can now report on anything that is true, like Zuma steeling money
- Political prisoners will be free, people who were put in jail because of political opposition are released, eg. Nelson Mandela
- Excile may return to SA, people that were against the state were allowed back to live freely and vote in SA.
- Banned political parties will be unbanned eg. ANC, - Parties like ANC, PAC, Communist Party were legal to join the elections and to be voted for.
- Restrictions on political parties will be gone, they could now get members and advertise and make speaches legally
- Imprisionment may not exceed 6 month under state of security
- Prioners can see doctors and attorneys
When electing members of parliament the country is divided into?
Constituencies / districts
To elect someone to parliament, what must the voters have to vote?
Voters must
- Be 18 years or older
- Must be registered and ID document
- Must be a citizen of SA
What is a political party?
Group of citizens who have a certain idea of how the government should run the country
What does every political party have?
A leader
In the National Election you get a _______ or ______ with
all the _________________ on?
List or Ballot
political parties
True of False, give right answer:
General elections are held every 4 years?
FALSE
5 years
How is the President elected as head of the national government?
The party that won the National Election will choose their President of the party and he/she is President of country.
TRUE OR FALSE, GIVE RIGHT ANSWER:
IEC stands for International Electrical Commission
FALSE
Independent Electoral Commission
What does the IEC do?
- They arrange and control the voting
- They make sure that all elections are free and fair
- That no one was forced to vote for someone
In order to vote citizens had to register before or afte the election?
Before
Where did voting / polling stations been set up for voters to vote?
School halls or police stations
When a voters arrives at the polling station what happens?
- Voter must show ID
- Official checks name on registered voters list - cross out voters name
- Marks voters thumb with special ink
- Voter gets a ballot paper
- Voter votes making an X on ballot at party he likes
- Voter folds paper, put in ballot box
Why is a special pen with permanent ink used on voters thumb?
To make sure they do not vote twice
What is on a Ballot paper?
Political Party’s name and a photo of leader
REMEMBER, each vote is _______ ?
SECRET
Name the 3 Government Structures
- National Government
- Provincial Government
- Local / Municipal Government
Discuss the National Government:
- Led / ruled by President
- Make laws for South Africa
- Some department only at National Level, it concerns whole country eg.
* Defence, * Science and Technology
* Foreign Affairs * Trade and Industry
* Home Affairs * Minerals and Energy
* Water and Forestry
Discuss Provincial Government?
Led / Ruled by Premier
A body who helps organise affairs like:
Education # Sport and Recreation
Tourism # Finance
Housing # Health and Safety
Transport
Discuss Local / Municipalities?
Ruled / Led by a Mayor
Provides services like:
- Water * Parks and Libraries
- Roads * Clinics
- Electricity
- Refuse removal
They also work with Provincial and National Gov on
Housing, Education, Health Care and Safety in their specific town or city.
Who counts the votes after an election?
IEC
What do we call the party with the most votes?
Ruling Party
Party with the second most representatives are called?
The official opposition
The leader of the ruling party is the ________ of the country and the ___________ of the government
and the _________ of the cabinet.
PRESIDENT of the country
HEAD of government
CHAIRMAN of the cabinet
The people who lead the different departments in the government is called __________. They are elected from the ________________ party by the ______________.
called MINISTERS,
they are from the RULING PARTY
elected by the PRESIDENT
The cabinet consist of ____ ministers and _____ deputy ministers appointed by the President?
35 ministers
37 deputy ministers
What do a minister do in the government?
Ministers have a specific job / portfolio and is head of a specific department in the government, so he will be responsible for all the work in taht department, like
education
Health
Defence
Two banned parties that was unbanned by FW de Klerk were the ________ and ________
ANC and PAC
When was the first democratic elections held in SA?
27 April 1994
When was Nelson Mandela inaugurated ?
10 May 1994
How many people arrived to vote in 1994?
Over 19 Million
What Party won the first Democratic Elections in SA, and who was their President?
ANC
NELSON MANDELA
What does ANC stand for?
African National Congress
How many seats did the ANC win in National Assembly and Provincial Governments, with their 1st democratic election?
- 252 seats National
- 7 Provincial
What party is the official opposition in SA today
DA
Democratic Alliace
What kind of Government rules SA today?
Democracy
What kind of goverment is the opposite of democracy and is not welcomed in the world?
Autocracy
Who is the current President of our Country?
What is the constitution?
Is a set laws and rules that indicate how country must be governed.
When was the current constitution introduced?
a. 27 April 1994
b. 10 May 1994
c. 4 February 1997
d. 23 March 1996
C. 4 Feb 1997
What must comply with the constitution in the parliament
All laws accepted by the parliament must comply with the constitution
The Constition has how many chapters?
Name a few
It has 14 Chapters
- How often elections will be held
- Describes the Gov. eg., who president, deputy president & ministers will be
- How Gov must take decisions
- Bill of Rights, eg. Gov cannot makes laws that harm citizens
- How the legal system must work. Courts must obey constitution
Why is it important for a contry to have a constitution?
- What rights the Gov has
- What rights and responsibilities citizens have
- How Gov must be formed
Are the courts in SA independant of the GOV or do they report to the GOV?
Courts are independant, although they have to obey the constitution
What is the aim of the Constitution?
- Remove and change the past
- Foundation for democratic society
- Improve the quality of life for citizens
- Build SA as a united democratic nations
True of False, give right answer
The Constitution is the Highest Law
TRUE
How is Parliament made up?
Refer to representatives / Houses / seats
Parliament is made up of representatives from the ruling party and opposition parties.
Parliament consist of two groups or the TWO HOUSES
- National Assembly = 400 seats (make laws)
- National Council of Provinces = 90 seats (look after needs of people in provinces)
What is a parliament session?
It is when laws are discussed and any citizen can attend.
What is the role and duties of the Speaker?
NB Previous long Question
Chairperson of Parliament
THEIR DUTY: Meetings must be done in time and according to prescriptions and protocol of parliament.
GOLDEN STAFF: symbolise speakers authority. Staff lies on table if speaker is in chair.
When does Speaker wear colourful robe?
Special occasions at Parliament
What is a seat in Parliament
Seats gets allocated to political parties according to the votes they have received.
If they get a seat they have specific work to do
National Assembly has 400 seats
National Council of Provinces has 90
Why is the Constitution of Parliament so important?
- Because ALL members of parliament MUST OBEY the constitution
- All laws and decisions must be according to constitution.
Why are RULES and LAWS important
- Teach people to behave/act towards each other
- Necessary for contracts
- How parents and children need to care for each other
- How to respect each other
In a democracy who makes the laws and rules of a country?
People in Parliament
What is the Justice System?
It is the legal system of SA
Why do we need a justice/legal system in SA
So that people are treated fairly and to make sure laws are obeyed.
What does the legal or Justice say about the citizens?
- All inhabitants in SA are equal and the law protects everybody.
- Everybody has the right to a fair trial in court.
When does a Judges pronounce judgement?
After he has heard both parties evidence in court
What are Judges trained for?
To apply the law
Name the 2 types of cases to be heard in court?
Criminal Case:
Police catch person - go to court - judge decide punishment - jail or community service
Civil Case:
Two people dissagree - can’t resolve - court to decide who’s right
What is community service?
When judge sentence a person to work in a community as his punishment.
Since 21 May 2014 _____________ has served as Speaker of Parliament?
A. Jacob Zuma
B. Julius Malema
C. Walter Sisulu
D. Baleka Mbete
D. Baleka Mbete
What are the Equal rights that you as citizen of SA can claim, name a few (6)
- Everybody is equal na matter your race, language, religion and sex
- Freedom of Regilion
- Political Rights
- Right to Education
- Right to protection against violence
- Right to Medical Treatment
- Access to Court
- Right to clean Enviroment and Housing
What are RESPONSIBILITIES?
What can your RESPONSIBILITIES be in GR 6?
Responsibilities are things you MUST do as a SA
GR 6 Responsibilities:
- Dont be rude/unfriendly towards race, colour, language, disability, appearance.
- Respect other believes that differs from you
- Obey the rules of road
- Obey rules of home = keep clean, obey safety eg. electricity
- Self respect
- No littering
- Do good at school
Who was Fatima Meer?
Fatima Meer was a Anti- Apartheid activist
What did Fatima Meers father do?
He was a Muslim and an newspaper editor
What did FAtima Meer realised at a young age?
That Indians, Blacks and Coloured people were not treated fairly in SA
When she went to universaty what group did Fatima Meer started?
Student Passive Resistance Committee
What does Passive Resistance means?
Non-violent protest
Students used peaceful protest to show Gov they were treated unfair
What did Fatima Meer work for so hard?
To establish equality between different population groups
Who else also believed in Passive Resistance?
Ghandi
Who is Ghandi?
Indian lawyer - fight for human rights
Fatima took part in the Womens March 1956, together with Ghandi, what did they protest and explain
Protest agains the Pass Laws
Black people had to carry their pass books with them all the time
How many books did Fatima write and what did she do that made her famous.
She wrote 40 books
She spoke out against Apartheid
Helped people in need
Anti-Apartheid Activist
Sent to jail without a trial
What was happening in Durban in 1949?
Lots of racial unrest
What does the Constitution of SA protect?
Human rights and democracy of SA
Who supports and maintain the Constitution?
The Constitutional Court
Who is the Highest court that serves all South Africans
The Constitutional Court
How is the Constitutional Court made up of?
President
Deputy President
9 Judges
What can the Constitutional Court change?
Can change the constitution
Where is the Constitutional court located today?
In a jail whereNelson Mandela was held captive
The design of the Constitutional Court is designed to look like what inside?
Why?
- Looks like the shade under a tree
- It represents the African tradition of gathering under a tree when important decisions were made
When was Puis Langa chief Justice of the Constitutional Court
2005 - 2009
In 1994 Puis Langa was chosen to be one of the _________ in the new Constitutional Court
11 Judges
Where was Langa from?
Born in Bosbokrand in Mpumalanga
Name some of the jobs Langa did before he became lawyer?
Worked in shirt factory
Messenger for court
Interpreter for magistrate
With what did Langa get to deal with alot in court as a advocate
Apartheid laws
As member of what political party did Langa oppose apartheid?
United Democratic Front
UDF
When are you classified as a child?
Younger than 18 years
Children has special rights because they cannot care for themselves. A Bill of Rights were drawn in 1992 internationally. What rights do SA children have?
- Enough food
- No discrimination because of race, gender, religion or language
- Protected against violence
- An education
- Receive Healthcare
- Live in a home (not e homeless)
- Protected against child labour
- Able to speak their opinions
