The Republic of South Africa will celebrate the freedom day on April, 27th.

South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It has a population of almost 53 millions on an size of 1.221.037 km^2. 

The administrative capital is Pretoria but the House of Parliament is in the Cape. Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of the country.

Freedom Day is a public holiday for the South African. Every years, on this day, the people celebrate freedom and commemorate the first post-apartheid elections held on April 27 in 1994. They were the first national elections in the country in which the right to vote did not depend upon race. In this elections, everyone of age over 18 of any race was allowed to vote. Few days later, on May, 10, Nelson Mandela was elected as the first President of South Africa.

Before 1994, the Republic Day was celebrated on May, 31st. This was established in order to mark the rupture with the Commonwealth in 1961.

Today, the South Africans celebrate the Freedom Day with a great enthusiasm. Throughout all the country, a lot of social events are organized. This is also the time where people of South Africa remember and pay tributes to all those who sacrified their lives to gain liberation for the country.

The current president of South Africa is Jacob Zuma. He was elected president in 2009. Jacob Zuma is a member of the ANC (African National Congres), the party who led the fight against apartheid. He succeded Thabo Mbeki who was the president after Nelson Mandela.

In Brussels, the Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium is H.E. Mxolisi NKOSI.  The Embassy welcomed recently a new minister plenipotentiary: H.E. Ellwyn BECK.

The country is well known for the richness of its territories: its agriculture and its marvellous wines. South Africa possesses also a magnificent nature with wild animals, flowers, beautiful sceneries, lakes and the Oceans.

Solenne Gudin