Democracy and Citizenship Flashcards
In what year did South Africa become a democracy?
1994
List 4 freedoms that people who live in a democratic country enjoy
1) the freedom to move around - to live and work where they want to
2) the freedom to vote for the people they want to rule the country
3) freedom of speech
4) freedom to support the political parties that they want to support
5) they have their human rights protected
what do you understand by the term democracy?
the free and equal right of everyone to take part in government
What was apartheid?
a system that segregated (or divided) the country along racial lines
list 3 injustices or inequalities that were present under the apartheid system
1) black people couldn’t vote
2) black people could only live in certain areas that were assigned to them
3) black people had to carry special permits (pass books) to travel into cities and other areas
4) political parties that stood for the freedom of all South Africans were banned and many of their leaders were imprisoned
Which political party established apartheid as one of its policies?
The National Party
Which South African President relaxed apartheid laws and unbanned the ANC?
FW de Klerk
How often are national elections held in SA?
every 5 years
Who are the IEC and what do they do?
The Independent Electoral Commission - they organise and run the national elections. They ensure that the elections are free and fair
What is the highest law in the land
the Constitution
True or False: anyone in SA can go to Parliament and have their say
False - citizens choose a few people to represent them in parliament and make decisions for them. These people are chosen through an election
True or False: everybody is allowed to vote in South Africa’s national elections
False - voters must be over 18
Voters must have a South African ID document
Voters may not be mentally disabled
Voters must register to vote before the election
What is a ballot paper?
A special form on which the names of all the political parties are listed. In an election citizens place an x on the ballot paper next to the name of the political party they want to run the country
what does the term secret ballot mean?
it means voting takes place in secret. No one may ask a person which political party they voted for
how is the president of SA chosen?
Citizens vote for which political party they want to rule the country. The political party with the most votes chooses the president - usually this is the leader of their party
What are the 3 tiers of government in SA and what are their roles
1) National Govt - deals with things that affect the whole nation
2) Provincial Government - deal with things that affect their own province
3) Local Government - deal with things that effect their own municipality
What is the role of parliament?
- they pass the laws (called Acts of Parliament) that will govern the country well and ensure democracy is protected
- to allow people to give their views on issues
- to choose which member of the party which wins elections will be the president
what are the 2 groupings that make up parliament called and how is each elected?
1) The National Assembly: each political party has a list of people they put up to stand for election. Each party is told how many people from their list they can send to parliament based on the percentage of votes the party receives in the national election (approx 350 people are in the national assembly)
2) The National Council of Provinces: each province sends 10 people to parliament, they are voted for in a provincial election.
True or false: another name for parliament is the national executive
False: another name for parliament is the National Legislature
who are the cabinet and what do they do?
another name for the cabinet is the national executive.
their role is to make sure that the laws made by parliament are carried out. Cabinet is made up of the president, deputy president and the cabinet ministers. Each member of the cabinet deals with a different area of government (eg education/finance/policing)
name the 3 sections of our government
legislative - parliament (or national legislature)
executive - president, deputy and cabinet ministers
judicial - the courts
true or false: the constitution can be changed easily by the political party in charge
false
how many judges are in the constitutional court
11
What is the Bill of Rights
It is part of the constitution. It describes certain rights of SA citizens
name 5 rights protected by the Bill of Rights
right to equality
right to human dignity
right to freedom and security of the person
right to life
right to freedom of expression
political rights
right to freedom of religion, belief and opinion
right to citizenship
right to education
right to a healthy environment
right to health care, food, water and social security
right to freedom of movement & residence
right to language and culture
right to court access
why do we have laws?
to protect the rights of citizens in a democracy
if we treat others with disrespect, which of their rights are we violating
right to human dignity
what are some of the responsibilities that go along with the right to citizenship?
voting, paying taxes, obeying the law
whose responsibility is it to pass laws in line with the constitution & democracy?
parliament
whose responsibility is it to make sure that laws are upheld
the justice (judicial) system
what is the name of the person who prepares a case against a suspect arrested by the police
the public prosecutor
what is the role of the court in law enforcement
the court determines if any laws were broken by the suspect and sentences them if they are found guilty. Every suspect is innocent until proven guilty and every person has the right to a fair trail in court
In which language is the motto on the SA coat of arms written and what does it mean
the Khoisan language , it means diverse people unite
do you think the motto on the SA coat of arms is a good one. Give a reason for your answer
(own opinion)
what do the elephant tusks on the coat of arms represent
wisdom, strength, moderation and eternity
why are the spear and knobkierie on the coat of arms lying down?
to symbolise peace
where is the sun found on our coat of arms? what does it symbolise?
at the top, symbolises the rebirth of our country, brightness, energy, knowledge, good judgement and will power
name the flower and bird found on our coat of arms
protea and secretary bird
who is defined as a child in SA
anyone under the age of 18
What is Enoch Sontonga known for
he wrote the 1st verse and chorus of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika as well as the music
True or false: the constitution contains special rights that apply to children
true
what does the Y shape in the SA flag represent
the different people of SA coming together to go forward in unity
which 2 other countries have Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika as a National anthem
Tanzania and Zambia
What was the Children’s Charter
a document written in 1992 at the International Children’s Summit by about 200 children from all over South Africa - representative of all races, classes, gender and disability. They wrote about the rights of children and how children were not being treated with respect and dignity. Their work contributed to the Constitution.
