Government and Politics

South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the Parliament.  The government is composed of  three different branches:

• Legislature: The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces
• Executive: The President, the Head of State and Head of Government, is elected by the members of the National Assembly
• Judiciary: The Constitutional Court is the highest court for interpreting and deciding constitutional issues, while the Supreme Court of Appeal is the highest court for nonconstitutional matters.  Most cases are heard in the High Courts and Magistrates Courts.

All bodies of the South African government are subject to the rule of the Constitution, which is the supreme law in South Africa.  The constitution's bill of rights provides for due process including the right to a fair, public trial and the right to appeal to a higher court. The bill of rights also guarantees fundamental political and social rights of South Africa's citizens.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm#gov