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The Rainbow Nation
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The Rainbow Nation
The 'rainbow nation' is a description coined by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the euphoric aftermath of the transition from (white) minority to majority rule. The term captures the extraordinary diversity of races, tribes, creeds, languages and landscape that characterises modern South Africa. It is redolent of hope and promise. Yet the after-effects of the country's divisive past are still with us and the goal of racial harmony remains elusive. Nevertheless, South Africa's tribes and peoples have learned to live with one another and even to celebrate their differences.
South Africa has one of the newest and most progressive constitutions in the world and, as in Eastern Europe, people are still coming to terms with freedoms hitherto denied them. The Constitutional Court has the difficult task of extending and protecting human rights in a society in the throes of transition and faced with serious problems of unemployment, poverty, crime and HIV/Aids. Brash, vibrant and assertive, the 'rainbow nation' is not for the faint of heart, whether residents or visitors.
Madiba, the Father Figure
That the new South Africa has held together so well is largely because of the example set by the country's most famous citizen, Nelson Mandela, popularly known by his clan name, 'Madiba'. Mandela emerged from 27 years in prison forgiving of his captors and with his ideal of a united, non-racial South Africa intact. While insistent on social and economic reforms, he went out of his way to heal past wounds and reconcile old foes.
By gestures such as combining Die Stem with Nkosi Sikelele Afrika as the country's new national anthem, and donning a Springbok rugby jersey at the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, Mandela endeared himself to his apprehensive white countrymen. Although now in his late eighties and officially retired, he has continued to work tirelessly for his two foundations and has spearheaded efforts to achieve peace in Burundi and to ameliorate the suffering of HIV/Aids victims.
Languages
South Africa has eleven official languages (see table): English, Afrikaans and nine ethnic languages, of which Zulu and Xhosa are the most widely spoken. While most South Africans can communicate in more than one language, English is the most commonly spoken and the language of official business and commerce.
Religion
About 80% of South Africans are Christian, 15% have no religious affiliation and 5% are Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or of other faiths. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution.
ARTS & CULTURE
The arts in South Africa are alive and flourishing. The country's first artists were the San, who decorated their caves with superb rock paintings and engravings of animals. European-style painting began with Thomas Baines, followed by artists such as JH Pierneef, Walter Battiss, Irma Stern, Maggie Laubscher, Gerard Sekoto and George Pemba. Of contemporary artists, William Kentridge, who transcends various art forms, is the best known internationally.
Township paintings, sculptures, woodcarvings, basket- and beadwork and pottery have become very popular on world markets.
Since the lifting of the cultural boycott, the performing arts scene has been transformed. 'Protest' theatre, which brought international recognition to the likes of playwright Athol Fugard, directors Barney Simon and Mbongeni Ngema and actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona, no longer predominates. Music and dance, epitomised by box office hits such as The Lion King, Umoja and African Footprint, are blazing new trails on the global circuit.
The domestic music scene is as lively as ever, ranging from the distinctive kwela (pennywhistle) and kwaito (African pop) of the townships, the Afrikaners' traditional boeremusiek and tiekiedraai, to soul, jazz, and reggae. Hugh Masikela (trumpeter). Dollar Brand (jazz pianist and composer) and Miriam Makeba (songstress) are three of the best-known contemporary musicians. Classical music and ballet still draw enthusiastic audiences.
The post-apartheid film industry is still developing, but two South African films - Yesterday and Tsotsi - have received international recognition. Many international commercials are now being shot in South Africa, especially in the Cape.
Literature is another area in which South Africans have distinguished themselves. Writers such as Olive Schreiner, Alan Paton, Nadine Gordimer, Laurens van der Post, Es'kia Mphahlele, Breyten Breytenbach, Lewis Nkosi, Andre Brink, JM Coetzee, and Zakes Mda are well-known the world over. Gordimer and Coetzee have received Nobel Prizes for Literature.
Food and Drink
South Africa's many nationalities and cultures are reflected in its cuisine. While meat and chicken form the basis of many dishes, a wide variety of seafood is available at affordable prices. Regional specialities include Cape Malay dishes such as bobotie (minced meat topped with baked egg), sosaties (spicy kebabs), smoorvis (a fish kedgeree) and breyani (lamb or chicken with baked rice or lentils) and, in KwaZulu-Natal, hot and spicy curries and delicacies such as samoosas, deep-fried doughy triangles filled with meat or vegetables, and roti, a flat bread.
Traditional Afrikaner food includes bredie (a meat stew), potjiekos (a slowly-cooked meat and vegetable stew), boerewors (spiced sausage), biltong (strips of dried meat), melktert (milk tart) and koeksisters (sweet, plaited dough). Putu, a stiff, dry corn meal, is a staple of African diets, together with amasi, a sour milk.
Weekend fare for South Africans of all races is the outdoor braaivleis (barbecue) consisting of chops, sosaties, chicken, boerewors and putu.
Wine made from imported grape varieties such as chenin blanc, chardonnay, merlot and shiraz has been made in the Western Cape for three centuries. Two local specialities are muscat d'alexandrie (made from hanepoot) a sweet dessert wine, and pinotage, a uniquely South African cultivar developed from pinot noir and cinsaut (hermitage) grapes.
South Africans are prolific beer drinkers, especially when eating outdoors or watching sport. Maheu, a sorghum-based beer, is widely drunk in shebeens and beer halls.
Sport
Open spaces, a dry and sunny climate and inexpensive facilities make for an ideal sporting playground. And South Africans are keen sportsmen and women. Soccer is the most popular sport and other team sports - baseball, basketball, cricket, rugby, hockey and netball - are played everywhere.
South Africans have excelled internationally in golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, rugby and cricket. Golf offers hundreds of courses, some of them over a century old and others brand new, which offer visitors world-class facilities at low fees (see Tourism). Access to tennis, squash and bowls venues is reasonable, and there are wide, unconfined opportunities for outdoor sports ranging from horse-riding to hiking, mountain-climbing to angling, sailing and wind-surfing to biking and swimming.
There are also exceptional facilities - at a price - for hunting, shark-diving and 4x4 trailing. Massed long-distance events such as the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon (running), the Argus Pick & Pay Cycle Tour and the 94.7 Cycle Challenge attract thousands of entrants, many from outside the country.
2010 FIFA World Cup Countdown
South Africa is the first African nation to host the World Soccer Cup, a source of national pride that has stirred great enthusiasm in the country. One of the world's premier sporting events has become a rallying point for the country's optimists as well as a focal point for skeptics. Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Local Organising Committee, is confident that South Africa has the capacity to produce a world-class event and to meet all the milestones along the way. Jordaan says Fifa already has US$3.1 billion in its coffers from sponsors and broadcasting rights, the largest in Fifa's history. For its part Fifa appears to be satisfied with progress so far.
The doubters point to the daunting infrastructure, transport and security challenges - not to mention the rapidly escalating costs - as causes for serious concern. For example, the National Treasury has set aside over R8 billion for the building of 5 new stadiums and the modernization of 5 existing stadiums and training facilities. A further R14 billion has been allocated for the improvement of supporting infrastructure. Other projects linked to 2010, such as the Gautrain rapid rail link, airport improvements and upgraded broadcasting infrastructure, will cost a further R23 billion, at least. Work has begun on the stadiums and transport infrastructure, but initial estimates are already proving to be low as demand for building materials has driven up input costs substantially. Cement prices alone have escalated more than 10% and local production cannot keep pace.
The infrastructural improvements hold many potential benefits for South Africa., the effects of which will be felt long after the final goal is scored in 2010. Estimates of the economic impact of World Cup 2010 vary between R5 - 21 billion, and jobs to be created between 20,000 and 160,000. The 400,000 visitors expected for the event could contribute as much as R10 billion in tourist revenues. A global television audience, estimated at 400 million, besides posing enormous technological challenges to the local network, should give a significant boost to tourism to South Africa in the years ahead.
World Cup 2010 will be staged at ten venues around South Africa. They are (with number of matches in brackets):
Soccer City (8, including opening and final) and Ellis Park (7), Johannesburg
Loftus Versfeld (5), Pretoria
Peter Mokaba Stadium (4), Polokwane, formerly Pietersburg
Royal Bafokeng Stadium (5), Rustenburg
Free State Stadium (6), Bloemfontein
African Renaissance Stadium (9), Cape Town
Nelson Mandela Stadium (8), Port Elizabeth
King Senzangakhona Stadium (8), Durban
Mbombela Stadium (4), Nelspruit
2010 websites: www.fifa.com www.worldcup2010southafrica.com
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