- published: 15 Nov 2012
- views: 2328
- author: sabcdigitalnews
Vimeo results:
Youtube results:
Open Collage in a new Window
Email the Collage
- Loading...
Loading suggestions ...
- Aaron Motsoaledi
- Affidavit
- Afrikaner
- AIDS
- Albert Lutuli
- Alec Erwin
- Alfred Bitini Xuma
- Alwyn Schlebusch
- ANC Youth League
- Angela Merkel
- Angie Motshekga
- Apartheid
- Argentina
- Audi alteram partem
- Australia
- B. J. Vorster
- Baleka Mbete
- Barack Obama
- Barbara Hogan
- Barry Bearak
- Bathabile Dlamini
- Blade Nzimande
- Bloemfontein
- BNO News
- Boer
- Brazil
- Brett Murray
- Brigitte Mabandla
- Bulelani Ngcuka
- Burundi
- Buyelwa Sonjica
- C-SPAN
- Canada
- Cape Times
- Cell C
- Charles Nqakula
- China
- Chris Heunis
- Chumani Maxwele
- Collins Chabane
- Consensual
- Corruption
- COSATU
- Criminal accusation
- Cristina Fernández
- Cyril Ramaphosa
- Daily Dispatch
- David Cameron
- Der Spiegel
- Dictator
- Dikgang Moseneke
- Dilma Rousseff
- Dipuo Peters
- Domino effect
- Duma Nokwe
- Durban
- E. J. Khaile
- Ebrahim Patel
- Edna Molewa
- Edward VIII
- Elijah Mdolomba
- Elizabeth II
- Emma Hurd
- Essop Pahad
- European Union
- F. W. de Klerk
- Felipe Calderón
- Fikile Mbalula
- Financial Gazette
- Forest Town, Gauteng
- France
- France Ô
- François Hollande
- Fraud
- Front Polisario
- G-20 major economies
- Geoff Doidge
- George V
- George VI
- Germany
- Government-in-exile
- Gugile Nkwinti
- Gwede Mantashe
- Habib Defouad
- Heaven
- Helen Zille
- Hilary Squires
- Hu Jintao
- Hutu
- Incumbent
- India
- Indonesia
- Inhlawulo
- Inkandla
- Irvin Khoza
- Isibongo
- Italy
- Jacob Zuma
- James Arthur Calata
- James Moroka
- Jan Smuts
- Japan
- Jeff Radebe
- Jesus Christ
- Johannes de Klerk
- Johannesburg
- José Manuel Barroso
- Jozua François Naudé
- Judiciary
- Julia Gillard
- Julius Malema
- Kampala
- Kate Mantsho
- Kgalema Motlanthe
- KwaZulu Natal
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Lee Myung-bak
- Left-wing
- Left-wing politics
- Leiden
- Lindiwe Hendricks
- Lindiwe Sisulu
- Lobola
- Louis Botha
- Lulama Xingwana
- Lusaka
- Machine gun
- Madam & Eve
- Mafikeng
- Mail & Guardian
- Mail and Guardian
- Makana F.A.
- Makhenkesi Stofile
- Malusi Gigaba
- Mandisi Mpahlwa
- Mangosuthu Buthelezi
- Manmohan Singh
- Marais Viljoen
- Mario Monti
- Matthieu Niango
- Membathisi Mdladlana
- Mexico
- Michelle Obama
- Mildred Oliphant
- Money laundering
- Mosibudi Mangena
- Mosiuoa Lekota
- Mozambique
- Naledi Pandor
- Natal Province
- Nathi Mthethwa
- Nelson Mandela
- New York Times
- Ngconde Balfour
- Nkandla
- Nkomati Accord
- Nompumelelo Ntuli
- Oliver Tambo
- Order of the Bath
- Owen Alik Shahadah
- Pallo Jordan
- Patricia de Lille
- Paul Mashatile
- Paul Ngobeni
- Pieter Willem Botha
- Pietermaritzburg
- Pixley ka Isaka Seme
- Politburo
- Political cartoonist
- Polokwane
- Polygamy
- Portal Biography
- Portal South Africa
- Pravin Gordhan
- President of Uganda
- Pretoria
- Prima facie
- Protestantism
- Racketeering
- Rape
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Richard Baloyi
- Richard's Bay
- Robben Island
- Ronnie Kasrils
- Russia
- S'bu Ndebele
- Same-sex marriage
- Sandile Ngcobo
- Sandton
- Saudi Arabia
- Saul Msane
- Schabir Shaik
- Schabir Shaik trial
- Selope Thema
- Sic
- Sicelo Shiceka
- Siphiwe Nyanda
- Siyabonga Cwele
- Sky News
- Sol Plaatje
- South Africa
- South African
- South African Navy
- South Korea
- Soweto uprising
- Stanger
- Stephen Harper
- Streisand Effect
- Susan Shabangu
- Sydney Mufamadi
- T. D. Mweli-Skota
- Template SAVices
- Thabo Mbeki
- The Guardian
- The New York Times
- The Spear (painting)
- Thoko Didiza
- Tina Joemat-Peterson
- Tokyo Sexwale
- Tony Yengeni
- Trade union
- Transvaal Province
- Trevor Manuel
- Turkey
- Tutsi
- Umkhonto we Sizwe
- Umlazi
- Umshini wami
- Ungqingili
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Valour class frigate
- Vladimir Lenin
- Vladimir Putin
- Walter Sisulu
- Western Sahara
- Wikipedia Link rot
- Wikipedia Persondata
- WorldCat
- Yoshihiko Noda
- Yoweri Museveni
- Zapiro
- Zeerust
- Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe Metro
- Zola Skweyiya
- Zulu people
-
Argentina
Argentina
i/ˌɑrdʒənˈtiːnə/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, the continent's second largest by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.
Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, are suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories.
A recognised middle power, Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, with a "very high" rating on the Human development index. Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita and the highest in purchasing power terms. Analysts have argued that the country has a "foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as middle emerging economy. Argentina is a founding member of the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.
wn.com/Argentina -
Australia
Australia (
/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
wn.com/Australia -
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein ( /ˈblʊmfɒnteɪn/, Dutch for "fountain of flowers" – lit., "blooms") is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.
Bloemfontein is popularly and poetically known as "the city of roses", owing to the abundance of these flowers and the annual rose festival held there. The city's Sesotho name is Mangaung, meaning "place of cheetahs" and it has been included in the Mangaung Local Municipality since 2000[dated info].
Bloemfontein is situated on dry grassland at 29°06′S 26°13′E / 29.1°S 26.217°E / -29.1; 26.217, at an altitude of 1,395 m (4,577 ft) above sea level. The city is home to 369,568 residents, while the Mangaung Local Municipality has a population of 645,455.
wn.com/Bloemfontein -
Brazil
Brazili/brəˈzɪl/ (Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 km (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas region of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos form part of Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of kingdom and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal.Independence was achieved in 1822 with the formation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The country became a presidential republic in 1889, when a military coup d'état proclaimed the Republic, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to the ratification of the first constitution in 1824. Its current Constitution, formulated in 1988, defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.
wn.com/Brazil -
Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km2 (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.
wn.com/Canada -
China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
wn.com/China -
Durban
Durban (Zulu: eThekwini, from itheku meaning 'bay / lagoon') is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism because of the city's warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. The municipality, which includes neighbouring towns, has a population of almost 3.5 million, making the combined municipality the biggest city on the east coast of the African continent. The metropolitan land area of 2,292 square kilometres (885 sq mi) is comparatively larger than other South African cities, resulting in a somewhat lower population density of 1,513 /km2 (3,920 /sq mi).
Archaeological evidence from the Drakensberg mountains suggests that the Durban area has been inhabited by communities of hunter-gatherers since 100,000 BC. These people lived throughout the area of present day KwaZulu-Natal until the expansion of Bantu farmers and pastoralists from the north saw their gradual displacement,incorporation or extermination.
wn.com/Durban -
France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] (
listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
wn.com/France -
Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
wn.com/Germany -
India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
wn.com/India -
Indonesia
Indonesia (i/ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/ IN-də-NEE-zhə or /ˌɪndoʊˈniːziə/ IN-doh-NEE-zee-ə), officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia Indonesian pronunciation: [rɛpʊblɪk ɪndɔnɛsɪa]), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia is a founding member of ASEAN and a member of the G-20 major economies. The Indonesian economy is the world's 17th largest economy by nominal GDP.
The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.
wn.com/Indonesia -
Inkandla
Nkandla is a town in the uThungulu district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nkandla Local Municipality.
The Nkandla region encompasses nearly 160,000 inhabitants, spread relatively sparsely over a large area. Poverty is prevalent, with over 90% unemployment. It has the highest rate of HIV infections with statistics stating 1 in 4, but it is closer to 1 in 3.[citation needed] There are also many orphans due to the AIDS epidemic killing many middle-aged parents.
A documentary "Orphans of Nkandla" by the BBC and Truevision recounted the hardships of orphans in the municipality.
It is the home town of the current President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. Zuma was joined by Nelson Mandela to open Mnyakanya High School in 2004.Nkandla is mainly a rural area and is on the top five of the poorest places in KZN. Zulu's dominate the region.
The Bambisanani Partnership between Mnyakanya High School, Nkandla and St. Mary's Catholic High School, Menston in the UK has received international acclaim.
wn.com/Inkandla -
Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
wn.com/Italy -
Japan
Japan
i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
wn.com/Japan -
Johannesburg
Johannesburg (/dʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜrɡ/; Afrikaans: [joˈhɑnəsbʏrx]) also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or eGoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa. The city is one of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and is also the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline. It claims to be the lightning capital of the world, though this title is also claimed by others.
While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa's three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, which has the final word on interpretation of South Africa's new post-Apartheid constitution. The city is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Johannesburg is served by O.R. Tambo International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Africa and a gateway for international air travel to and from the rest of Southern Africa. More recently Lanseria International Airport has started international flights, and is situated conveniently on the opposite side of the metropolis.
wn.com/Johannesburg -
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.
Mutesa I, the Kabaka (king) of Buganda, had chosen the area that was to become Kampala as one of his favorite hunting grounds. The area was made up of hills and wetlands. It was an ideal breeding ground for various game, particularly a species of antelope, the impala (Aepyceros melampus).
The city grew as the capital of the Buganda kingdom, from which several buildings survive, including the Kasubi Tombs (built in 1881), the Lubiri Palace, the Buganda Parliament and the Buganda Court of Justice. Severely damaged in the Uganda-Tanzania War, the city has since then been rebuilt with constructions of new buildings including hotels, banks, shopping malls, educational institutions, hospitals and improvement of war torn buildings and infrastructure. Traditionally, Kampala was a city of seven hills, but over time it has come to have a lot more.
wn.com/Kampala -
KwaZulu Natal
KwaZulu-Natal ( /kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl/, also referred to as KZN or Natal) is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu.
In the 1830s, the northern part was the Zulu Kingdom and southern part was briefly a Boer republic called Natalia (1839–1843). In 1843, the latter became the British Colony of Natal; Zululand (KwaZulu in Zulu) remained independent until 1879.
This region is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa's history, such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme (founder of the African National Congress and the first Black lawyer in South Africa), John Langalibalele Dube (founding president of the ANC), Mangosuthu Buthelezi (founder of the IFP), Chief Albert Luthuli (ANC president and the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), Anton Lembede (founding president of the ANC Youth League), Jacob Zuma (Current President of South Africa), and Bhambatha.
It is called the garden province and is the home of the Zulu nation. Two natural areas: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the southeast of the country, the province has a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean. It borders three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban.
wn.com/KwaZulu_Natal -
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal ( /kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl/, also referred to as KZN or Natal) is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu.
In the 1830s, the northern part was the Zulu Kingdom and southern part was briefly a Boer republic called Natalia (1839–1843). In 1843, the latter became the British Colony of Natal; Zululand (KwaZulu in Zulu) remained independent until 1879.
This region is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa's history, such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme (founder of the African National Congress and the first Black lawyer in South Africa), John Langalibalele Dube (founding president of the ANC), Mangosuthu Buthelezi (founder of the IFP), Chief Albert Luthuli (ANC president and the first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), Anton Lembede (founding president of the ANC Youth League), Jacob Zuma (Current President of South Africa), and Bhambatha.
It is called the garden province and is the home of the Zulu nation. Two natural areas: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the southeast of the country, the province has a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean. It borders three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban.
wn.com/KwaZulu-Natal -
Leiden
Leiden (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlɛi̯.də(n)] ( listen); in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. The municipality of Leiden has a population of about 120,000, but the city forms one densely connected urban area with its suburbs Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, which have about 254,000 inhabitants combined. The larger Leiden agglomeration counts 332,000 inhabitants which makes it the sixth major agglomeration in the Netherlands. Leiden is located on the Old Rhine, at a distance of some 20 kilometers from The Hague to its south and some 40 kilometers from Amsterdam to its north. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lies just to the northeast of Leiden.
A university city since 1575, Leiden houses Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Centre. It is twinned with Oxford, the location of England's oldest university.
It is true that Leiden is an old city, its connection with Roman Lugdunum Batavorum is true though it is actually near the close-by town of Katwijk, whereas the Roman settlement near modern Leiden was called Matilo. However, there was a Roman fortress in Leiden in the 4th century.[citation needed]
wn.com/Leiden -
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres (4,265 feet). It has a population of about 1.7 million (2010 census). It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head north, south, east and west from it. The three main languages spoken in Lusaka are English, Nyanja, and Bemba (the latter two are Bantu languages). English is the official language. Lusaka is one of the fastest-developing cities in Southern Africa.
As national capital, Lusaka is the seat of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, epitomized by the presence of the National Assembly (parliament), the State House (office of the President), and the High Court. The Parliament is situated at the Parliament complex, which features a 15-story building. The city is also the capital of Lusaka Province, the smallest and most populous of the country's nine provinces, and forms an administrative district run by Lusaka City Council. In 2007, the mayor was Steven Chilatu (PF), and the deputy mayor was Mary Phiri.
wn.com/Lusaka -
Mafikeng
Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng (see name history below) – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.
Located close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mahikeng is 1,400 km (870 mi) northeast of Cape Town and 260 km (160 mi) west of Johannesburg. In 2001, it had a population of 49,300. In 2007, Mafikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000 of which the CBD constitutes between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of 1,500 m (4,921 ft), by the banks of the Upper Molopo River. The Madibi goldfields are some 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the town.
Mafikeng was the headquarters of the Barolong Boo Ratshidi people. The town was founded by Molema Tawana ( c. 1822-January 1882). Born in Khunwana during the difaqane period, Molema was the son of Kgosi Tawana of the Tshidi Barolong. Molema's brother and close confidant, Montshiwa, later became chief. During the period that the Tshidi Barolong resided at Thaba Nchu, where they found refuge during the difaqane, Molema was converted to Christianity by the Wesleyan missionaries based there. Molema's son and heir, Silas Molema, was educated at Healdtown College. (Silas helped his nephew Sebopioa Molema get to the United States about 1904 to study law at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio.)
wn.com/Mafikeng -
Mexico
Mexico (i/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México, IPA: [ˈmexiko] ( listen)), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (help·info)), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the thirteenth largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of over 113 million, it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.
In Pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory from its base in México-Tenochtitlan, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony's independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican-American War and territorial cession to the United States, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
wn.com/Mexico -
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique, pronounced: [ʁɛˈpublikɐ di musɐ̃ˈbiki]), is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. The capital city is Maputo, formerly known as Lourenço Marques.
Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west. Swahili, and later also Arab, commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. It was the scene of an intense civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992.
Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but with industry, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminium and petroleum production, is growing fast. The country's tourism sector is also growing. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. Portugal, Spain, and Belgium are also among the country's most important partners. Since 2001 Mozambique is one of the world's top ten for annual average GDP growth. However, Mozambique still has one of the lowest GDP per capita, one of the worst human development index and one of the highest inequality in the world, as well as having the world's lowest life expectancy.
wn.com/Mozambique -
Nkandla
Nkandla is a town in the uThungulu district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nkandla Local Municipality.
The Nkandla region encompasses nearly 160,000 inhabitants, spread relatively sparsely over a large area. Poverty is prevalent, with over 90% unemployment. It has the highest rate of HIV infections with statistics stating 1 in 4, but it is closer to 1 in 3.[citation needed] There are also many orphans due to the AIDS epidemic killing many middle-aged parents.
A documentary "Orphans of Nkandla" by the BBC and Truevision recounted the hardships of orphans in the municipality.
It is the home town of the current President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. Zuma was joined by Nelson Mandela to open Mnyakanya High School in 2004.Nkandla is mainly a rural area and is on the top five of the poorest places in KZN. Zulu's dominate the region.
The Bambisanani Partnership between Mnyakanya High School, Nkandla and St. Mary's Catholic High School, Menston in the UK has received international acclaim.
wn.com/Nkandla -
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products. It is home to many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It had a population of 228,549 in 1991; the estimated current population is around 500,000 (including neighbouring townships) and has one of the largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa.
The city was originally founded by the Voortrekkers, following the defeat of Dingane at the Battle of Blood River, and was the capital of the short-lived Boer republic, Natalia. Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West, making it his home. Fort Napier, named after the governor of the Cape Colony, Sir George Thomas Napier, was built to house a garrison. In 1893 Natal received responsibility for their own government and an assembly building was built along with the city hall. In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the union, and Pietermaritzburg remained the capital.
wn.com/Pietermaritzburg -
Polokwane
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety", is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name,Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. Polokwane was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp at Pietersburg during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town officially became a city on April 23, 1992; on February 25, 2005, the government declared the official name of the city as Polokwane, a name that was generally in use by the speakers of Northern Sotho. The city was the site of the ANC national conference which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.
wn.com/Polokwane -
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. Pretoria is contained within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality as one of several constituent former administrations (among which also Centurion and Soshanguve). Pretoria itself is sometimes referred to as "Tshwane" due to a long-running and controversial proposed change of name, which has yet to decided as of 2012.
The city's original name was Pretoria Philadelphia ("Pretoria of brotherly love"). It gave its name to the Pax Praetoriana, referring to the country's relative stability.
Pretoria in South Africa is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the thousands of Jacaranda trees planted in its streets, parks and gardens.
The Southern Transvaal Ndebele occupied the river valley, which was to become the location of the city of Pretoria, by around 1600.
wn.com/Pretoria -
Richard's Bay
Richards Bay (Afrikaans: Richardsbaai) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which gives it one of the country's largest harbours.
The town began as a makeshift harbour that was set up by Commodore of the Cape, Sir Frederick Richards during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. In 1935 the Richards Bay Game Sanctuary was created to protect the ecology around the lagoon and later by 1943 it expanded into the Richards Bay Park. The town was laid-out on the shores of the lagoon in 1954 and proclaimed a town in 1969. In 1976 Richards Bay harbour was converted into a deep water harbour with railway and an oil/gas pipeline linking the port to Johannesburg.
The South African Government decided in 1965 to build a deepsea harbour at Richards Bay, about 180 kilometres north of Durban. Construction work began in 1972 and four years later, on April 1, 1976, the new harbour was opened. The residential area of Richards Bay developed north of the harbour. Meerensee, started in 1970, was the first suburb. It was followed by Arboretum in 1975 and VeldenVlei in 1980. All three suburbs catered exclusively for Whites in accordance with the existing laws of apartheid. A township for Blacks was developed at Esikhaweni, fifteen kilometres south of Richards Bay. Residential areas for Indians and people of mixed blood were opened after 1985 west of VeldenVlei. All the suburbs of Richards Bay together (excluding the black township of Esikhaweni) had a population of about 20 000 in 1990.
wn.com/Richard's_Bay -
Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
wn.com/Russia -
Sandton
Sandton is a wealthy area situated within the metro of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The name comes from the combination of two of its suburbs, Sandown and Bryanston. In 1969 Sandton was promulgated as a municipality in its own right, but lost its status as an independent town after the re-organisation of South African local governments.
Archaeological findings suggest the area, which Sandton comprises today, had originally been occupied by various indigenous groups, before European settlement. Most notably the Tswana people. The first of the Voortrekkers to settle in the area were those of the Esterhuysens of Zandfontein. A monument to commemorate them may be found just off Adrienne Street. In the 1870s the Wilhelmi family of Hanover, Germany acquired the farm Driefontein No.3. Driefontein along with the farms Rietfontein and Zandfontein encumbered what is today Sandton. Their original home, now within the confines of the Field & Study Centre, was looted during the Anglo-Boer War. Their 1906 Parkmore farmhouse served as the icon for the Sandton Historical Foundation. The Ehler family owned Rietfontein farm.
wn.com/Sandton -
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia (i/ˌsaʊdi əˈreɪbi.ə/ or i/ˌsɔːdiː əˈreɪbi.ə/; Arabic: السعودية as-Su‘ūdīyah[citation needed] or incorrectly as-Sa‘ūdīyah, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabīyah as-Su‘ūdīyah Arabic pronunciation (help·info)), is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab world, after Algeria. It is bordered by Jordan, and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Red Sea lies to its west, and the Persian Gulf lies to the east. Saudi Arabia has an area of approximately 2,250,000 km2 (870,000 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 27 million, of which 9 million are registered foreign expatriates and an estimated 2 million are illegal immigrants. Saudi nationals comprise an estimated 16 million people.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud (known for most of his career as Ibn Saud) in 1932, although the conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud, referred to in Arabic as the Al Saud. The Saudi Arabian government, which has been an absolute monarchy since its inception, refers to its system of government as being Islamic, though this is contested by many due to its strong basis in Salafism, a minority school of thought in Islam. The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam.
wn.com/Saudi_Arabia -
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.
The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New Zealand, as well as their previously operated version in Ireland. Sky News is also offered in an international version without the British adverts under the name Sky News International available in Europe and Asia.
Based at a news centre in London, Sky News started broadcasting on 5 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television service. Sky News provides an hourly news radio service to multiple radio networks in the UK and Ireland. The channel currently has seven UK bases each with their own correspondents, and the channel can also call upon a wide range of resources and global bureaux provided by its parent company News Corporation such as reporters from Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network (its sister news and business channels).
wn.com/Sky_News -
South Africa
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.
wn.com/South_Africa -
South African
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.
wn.com/South_African -
South Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.
wn.com/South_Korea -
Stanger
KwaDukuza (also known as Stanger) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006 the town's official name was changed from Stanger to KwaDukuza, however Zulus in the area used Dukuza well before this date, and many Whites use Stanger today (see name below). Furthermore Stanger still receives official recognition, for it has been used on new road signs in the area. It is a historic capital of the Zulus and is famous for being the place of Shaka's assassination.
It was founded around 1820 by King Shaka as KwaDukuza (Zulu: Place of the Lost Person) because of the capital's complex labyrinth of huts. After Shaka's assassination in a coup by two of his half-brothers, Dingane and Umthlangana (Mhlangane), on 24 September 1828, the town was burnt to the ground. In 1873, European settlers built a town on the site, and named it Stanger after William Stanger, the Surveyor-General of Natal.
Today, a small museum adjoins the site of King Shaka's grave, a grain pit, in the town centre. The otherwise simple town and its vibrant inhabitants are surrounded by sugar cane fields, bush, and the mahogany tree where King Shaka held meetings still stands in front of the municipal offices. The Shaka Day festival, a colourful ceremony of 10,000 or more Zulus, is held at the KwaDukuza Recreation Grounds on 24 September each year. This festival is usually attended by High level dignatries to mark the significance of the Zulu nation.
wn.com/Stanger -
Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
wn.com/Turkey -
Umlazi
uMlazi is a township on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The wider uMlazi area has a population of 750,000. The township is located south-west of Durban.
According to legend, the name uMlazi comes from "umlaza" (Zulu for the sour acid produced from fermented milk or sour milk). It is believed that when King Shaka was passing through the area, he refused to drink from a local river claiming it had the taste of "umlaza", from that incident, the area has been called Umlazi.
uMlazi, like many townships in the urban areas of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Johannesburg, is witnessing increased private and government investment, as witnessed in the construction of new shopping complexes, primary and secondary schools, Universities of Technology and libraries[citation needed].
The new educational infrastructure is particularly important, as an affordable[citation needed], easily accessible quality secondary education is valuable for many children in uMlazi, particularly with regards to their search for employment following school (most do not attend tertiary institutions due to their families financial resources)[citation needed].
wn.com/Umlazi -
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
wn.com/United_Kingdom -
United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
wn.com/United_States -
Western Sahara
Coordinates: 25°N 13°W / 25°N 13°W / 25; -13
Western Sahara (USi/ˌwɛstərn səˈhærə/, UK /ˌwɛstən səˈhɑrə/; Arabic: الصحراء الغربية Aṣ-Ṣaḥrā’ al-Gharbīyah; Spanish: Sahara Occidental), is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to 266,000 square kilometres (103,000 sq mi). It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The population is estimated at just over 500,000, many of whom live in El Aaiún (also called Laâyoune), the largest city in Western Sahara.
A colony of Spain since the late 19th century, the Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since 1963. In 1965, the UN General Assembly adopted its first resolution on Western Sahara, asking Spain to decolonise the territory. One year later, a new resolution was passed by the General Assembly requesting that a referendum be held by Spain on self-determination. In 1975, Spain relinquished the administrative control of the territory to a joint administration by Morocco, which had formally claimed the territory since 1957, and Mauritania. A war erupted between those countries and the Sahrawi national liberation movement Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) (exiled government in Tindouf, Algeria). Mauritania withdrew in 1979 and Morocco eventually secured effective control of most of the territory, including all the major cities and natural resources.
wn.com/Western_Sahara -
Zeerust
Zeerust is a commercial town situated in Ngaka Modiri Molema district North West Province, South Africa. It lies in the Marico valley, approximately 240 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. It lies on the N4, the main road link between South Africa and Botswana. There are large cattle ranches in the area, as well as wheat, maize, tobacco and citrus fruit farms. There are also fluorite and chromite mines in the vicinity. Tourism is also a developing industry.
The original name of the farm on which the town was established was Sefathlani / Sebatlani (meaning dusty place) belonging to Casper Hendrik Coetzee who bought it in 1858. The farm was later renamed Hazenjacht, and after that Hazia / Hazeah. Casper Coetzee contracted Walter Seymore to build a church and a fort on this farm, but Casper died before this was completed. In 1866, the farm then came into the hands of his cousin / Brother-in-law Diederik Jacobus Coetzee, who saw the potential of developing a town on the farm. He measured out some erven with the idea of starting a town, using "Ox riems" to measure out the plots instead of the accepted surveyors chains. On 20 March 1867, the first erven of the newly established Coetzee-Rust were sold per public auction in Potchefstroom, before official recognition of the request to start a town was granted.
wn.com/Zeerust -
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (/zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ/ zim-BAHB-way; officially the Republic of Zimbabwe) is a landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique. The capital is Harare (formerly called Salisbury). Zimbabwe achieved majority rule and internationally recognised independence in April 1980 following a long period of colonial rule and a 15-year period of white-dominated minority rule, instituted after the minority regime’s so-called Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965.
Zimbabwe has three official languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. Zimbabwe began as the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, created from land held by the British South Africa Company. President Robert Mugabe is the head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Morgan Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister. Mugabe has been in power since the country's internationally recognised independence in 1980.
wn.com/Zimbabwe
-
Aaron Motsoaledi
Aaron Motsoaledi (born 7 August 1958 in Limpopo) is the Minister of Health of South Africa. He was formerly an MEC in the Limpopo province for (in chronological order) transport, agriculture and environment, and education.
wn.com/Aaron_Motsoaledi -
Afrikaner
Afrikaners (including the Boer subgroup ) are a Germanic ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from Dutch (including Flemish), French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.
Their ancestors were Dutch Calvinists, with smaller numbers of Frisians, English, Germans and French Huguenots, and with minor numbers of other European groups (such as Dutch Jews, Scandinavians, Portuguese, Greeks, Italians, Spaniards, Scots, Irish, Polish).
Most Afrikaner families have between 5% and 7% non-white ancestry, such as Khoi African, Indonesian and Indian, as the early Dutch settlement at the Cape allowed inter-racial marriage. During the Apartheid era, race classification was based on appearance and there were many borderline cases.
South Africans of British descent are considered a separate ethnic group from Afrikaners, and their first language is English.
The term Afrikaner as used in the 20th and 21st century context refers to all white Afrikaans-speaking people, i.e. those of the larger Cape Dutch origin and of the smaller Boer origin, who are descended from European settlers who first arrived in the Cape of Good Hope during the period of administration (1652 – 1795) by the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC).
wn.com/Afrikaner -
Albert Lutuli
Albert John Lutuli (commonly spelled Luthuli; c. 1898 – 21 July 1967), also known by his Zulu name Mvumbi, was a South African teacher and politician. Lutuli was elected president of the African National Congress (ANC), at the time an umbrella organisation that led opposition to the white minority government in South Africa. He was awarded the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the non-violent struggle against apartheid. He was the first African, and the first person from outside Europe and the Americas, to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The third son of Seventh-day Adventist missionary John Bunyan Lutuli and Mtonya Gumede, Albert Lutuli was born near Bulawayo in what was then called Rhodesia, around 1898. His father died, and he and his mother returned to her ancestral home of Groutville in KwaDukuza (Stanger), Natal, South Africa. He stayed with his uncle, Martin Lutuli, who was at that time the elected chief of the Christian Zulus inhabiting the Umzinyathi District Municipality mission Reserve.
wn.com/Albert_Lutuli -
Alec Erwin
Alexander Erwin (born 17 January 1948) is a South African politician who was Minister of Public Enterprises from 29 April 2004 to 25 September 2008.
Erwin matriculated from Durban High School and went on to obtain a B Econ Honors degree from the University of Natal.
Following the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki in September 2008, Erwin was among those members of the Cabinet who submitted their resignations on September 23.
wn.com/Alec_Erwin -
Alwyn Schlebusch
Alwyn Schlebusch (16 September 1917 – 7 January 2008) was the only holder of the title Vice State President of South Africa from 1 January 1981 to 14 September 1984. He was an Afrikaner with a surname of German origin.
Schlebusch was appointed chair of the eponymous Schlebusch Commission in 1972, which had the power to cut foreign funding and seize the assets of anti-apartheid organizations, such as the Christian Institute of Southern Africa.
The position of Vice State President was created when the Senate was abolished in 1981. During his tenure, Schlebusch chaired the State President's Council, which advised on the creation of a new constitution. The post was abolished when the new constitution came into effect, replacing the ceremonial post of State President with an executive State President.
Before holding the post, Schlebusch was mayor of Hennenman in the 1940s, Member of Parliament for Kroonstad from 1962–1980, Minister of Public Works and Immigration in 1976, and Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs in 1979.
wn.com/Alwyn_Schlebusch -
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel, German: [aŋˈɡeːla doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛʁkl̩] ( listen); née Kasner (born 17 July 1954) is the Chancellor of Germany and Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany.
A physical chemist by professional background, Merkel entered politics in the wake of the Revolutions of 1989 and briefly served as the deputy spokesperson for Lothar de Maizière's democratically elected East German government prior to the German reunification. Following reunification in 1990, she was elected to the Bundestag, where she has represented the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since. She served as Federal Minister for Women and Youth 1991–1994 and as Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety 1994–1998 in Helmut Kohl's fourth and fifth cabinets. She was Secretary General of the CDU 1998–2000, and was elected chairperson in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, she was also chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary coalition.
After her election as Chancellor following the 2005 federal election, she led a grand coalition consisting of her own CDU party, its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), until 2009. In the 2009 federal election, the CDU obtained the largest share of the votes, and formed a coalition government with the CSU and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP).
wn.com/Angela_Merkel -
Angie Motshekga
Angie Motshekga is a South African politician, appointed Minister of Basic Education in 2009.
wn.com/Angie_Motshekga -
B. J. Vorster
Balthazar Johannes Vorster (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈbɐltɐzɐr joˈhɐnəs ˈfostər]; 13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983), better known as John Vorster, served as the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and as the fourth State President of South Africa from 1978 to 1979. While known for his staunch adherence to apartheid, overseeing as Minister of Justice the Rivonia Trial in which Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment, and as Prime Minister the Terrorism Act, the complete abolishment of non-white political representation, the Soweto Riots and the Steve Biko crisis, he nevertheless concluded a more pragmatic foreign policy than his predecessors in an effort to improve relations between the white minority government and South Africa's neighbours, particularly after the breakup of the Portuguese colonial empire. Shortly after the Internal Settlement in Rhodesia, in which he was instrumental, he was implicated in the Muldergate Scandal and resigned the premiership in favor of the ceremonial presidency, which he was forced to give up as well eight months later.
wn.com/B._J._Vorster -
Baleka Mbete
Baleka Mbete (born 24 September 1949, also known as Baleka Mbete-Kgositsile) is the former Deputy President of South Africa. She was previously Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 2004 to 2008.
The ANC announced that she will be deployed to Luthuli House to be the link between the ruling party and government.
She received a teacher's certificate from Lovedale Teachers' College and taught in Durban.
After going into exile Mbete taught in Mbabane, and went on to work for the African National Congress in several other African cities including Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Gaborone, Harare, and Lusaka.
She led the Medu Art Ensemble, was the secretary-general of ANC Women's League from 1991 to 1993, and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 1996 to 2004.
Mbete was a member of the Presidential Panel on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the ANC National Executive Committee, and the Pan-African Parliament.
In 2007 Mbete became the ANC's national chairperson.
wn.com/Baleka_Mbete -
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (i/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. In January 2005, Obama was sworn in as a U.S. Senator in the state of Illinois. He would hold this office until November 2008, when he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.
Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic incumbent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for the United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Illinois Democratic primary for the Senate election and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In April 2011, he announced that he would be running for re-election in 2012.
wn.com/Barack_Obama -
Barbara Hogan
Barbara Hogan (born 1952) is the former Minister of Public Enterprises in the Cabinet of South Africa.
Hogan attended St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls, Boksburg and gained a degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Hogan joined the African National Congress in 1976 after the Soweto Uprising, many years after the organization had been declared illegal and had moved its activities underground. Her responsibilities in this movement were to mobilize the white political left, participation in public political campaigning and supplying the ANC underground in Botswana with information about trade union and community activity in South Africa. Hogan was detained in 1982 for ‘furthering the aims of a banned organization’ and after being interrogated, ill-treated and held in solitary confinement for one year, she became the first woman in South Africa found guilty of high treason and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Hogan was released in 1990 with the unbanning of outlawed organizations and together with other political prisoners, most notably Nelson Mandela. Upon release she played a pivotal role in restructuring the ANC in her capacity as secretary of the PWV regional office.
wn.com/Barbara_Hogan -
Barry Bearak
Barry Leon Bearak (born August 31, 1949, in Chicago) is a Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist and professor of journalism who has worked as a reporter and correspondent for The Miami Herald, The Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. He also taught journalism as a visiting professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Since August 2011, Bearak has been working for the Sports staff of the New York Times.
On April 3, 2008, Bearak was taken into custody by Zimbabwean police as part of a crackdown on journalists covering the 2008 Zimbabwean election. He was charged with "falsely presenting himself as a journalist" in violation of the strict accreditation requirements that were imposed by the government of Robert Mugabe. Despite worldwide condemnation and court petitions that were filed immediately to release him from detention, Bearak remained in a detention cell in Harare for 5 days. On April 7, 2008 Bearak was released on bail by a Zimbabwean court. On April 16, 2008, a Zimbabwean court dismissed the charges against Bearak, saying that the state had failed to provide evidence of any crime, and ordered that Bearak and Stephen Bevan, a British freelance reporter who had also been accused of violating the country’s stiff journalism laws, be released. immediately following the court ruling, Mr. Bearak left Zimbabwe and returned to his home in Johannesburg." While in detention in Harare, Bearak was badly injured from a fall onto the concrete floor of the detention cell and needed medical attention.
wn.com/Barry_Bearak -
Bathabile Dlamini
Bathabile Dlamini is a South African politician. A member of the African National Congress, Dlamini is a member of the National Assembly and was chosen by President Jacob Zuma as the Minister of Social Development in 2010. From 2008-10, Dlamini was the Deputy Minister of Social Development under interim President Kgalema Motlanthe and the Jacob Zuma's first cabinet.
wn.com/Bathabile_Dlamini -
Blade Nzimande
Dr Bonginkosi Emmanuel "Blade" Nzimande (born April 14, 1958) is a South African politician who has been Minister for Higher Education and Training since 2009. He has been the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party since 1998. He has a doctorate degree in philosophy specialising in sociology. He came out strongly against the concept of Nationalisation at the COSATU conference in June 2011.
Nzimande was born in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, on 14 April 1958. "Blade" Nzimande was one of the three children of Nozipho Alice and Phillip Sphambano, a Shangaan herbalist from Mozambique.
Nzimande attended the Roman Catholic School, Henryville, and then Plessiers Lower Primary School before going to Mthethomusha School in Edendale, the first school in the area established under the new Bantu education system. He matriculated in 1975 at Georgetown High, Edendale.
While at school participated in youth clubs which were gatherings for cultural and sporting events, and were not particularly political in nature. He first became politically aware when Harry Gwala was released from Robben Island prison in 1973 and this was widely discussed in his community.
wn.com/Blade_Nzimande -
Boer
Boer ( /ˈbʊər/, /ˈboʊ.ər/, or /ˈbɔər/; Afrikaans: [ˈbuːr]) is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State, Transvaal (which are together known as the Boer Republics), and to a lesser extent Natal. Their primary motivations for leaving the Cape were to escape British rule and extract themselves from the constant border wars between the British imperial government and the native tribes on the eastern frontier.
The Trekboers, as they were originally known, were mainly of Dutch origin and included Calvinists, Flemish and Frisian Calvinists, as well as French Huguenot and German and British protestants who first arrived in the Cape of Good Hope during the period of its administration (1652 – 1795) by the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC). Lesser migrations of Scandinavians, Portuguese, Greeks, Italians, Spanish, Polish, Scots, English, Jews, Russians and Irish immigrants also contributed to this ethnic mix.
wn.com/Boer -
Brett Murray
Brett Murray (I) (born in 1961) is a South African artist mostly known for his steel and mixed media wall sculptures. He was born in Pretoria, South Africa. Murray has a master's degree in fine art from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, 1989. Referred to by critic Brenda Atkinson as "the dark prince of South African pop (art)", Murray is one of the country's most popular artists, often using easily recognisable media images with the addition of a subversive and bitterly funny twist. Murray's work addresses the wars of the cultures, the clash between Afrocentrism and Eurocentrism, the old and the new South Africas. "With my work I hope to critically entertain. Through satirical and tragic reflections on South Africa, I hope to shift people's perspectives and change people's minds, indulgent, arrogant and pretentious as this might sound," he says. More recently, his work has explored his own personal experiences and identity. Murray was also the founder of the sculpture department at Stellenbosch University.
wn.com/Brett_Murray -
Brigitte Mabandla
Brigitte Sylvia Mabandla (born November 23, 1948) is the South African minister of public enterprises; and formerly the minister of justice and constitutional development.
In 1979, she graduated in law from the University of Zambia.
wn.com/Brigitte_Mabandla -
Bulelani Ngcuka
Bulelani T Ngcuka (pronounced [ɓulelaːni ŋǀʱuːkʼa]; born 2 May 1954) was the first national Director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa, and is the husband of former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. He was embroiled in controversy after being accused of being an apartheid spy.
Bulelani Ngcuka, one of five siblings, was born in Middledrift, Eastern Cape and schooled in the former Bantustan of Transkei. He obtained his B.Proc at the University of Fort Hare in 1977 and went to work for the Durban law firm of Griffiths Mxenge as an articled clerk in 1978. He finished his articles at GM Mxenge Law Firm in 1981, the same year Mxenge was assassinated by apartheid hit men. He spent eight months in solitary confinement in 1981 and was jailed for three years in 1982 for refusing to give evidence in the political trial of Patrick Maqubele and others. While in prison, he completed his LLB through University of South Africa (Unisa).
When Ngcuka was released in 1985 he left for Switzerland and worked at the equality of human rights branch of International Labour Organisation in Geneva for two years. It was here that he married Phumzile Mlambo and they now have a son, Luyolo.
wn.com/Bulelani_Ngcuka -
Charles Nqakula
Charles Nqakula (born September 13, 1942) is a South African politician who has been Minister of Defence since September 2008. He was Minister of Safety and Security from May 2002 to September 2008. Tipped as a contender for the future presidency of South Africa, he is concurrently national chairperson of the South African Communist Party (SACP). Nqakula is married to the Minister of Correctional services, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Charles Nqakula attended primary school at Cradock and secondary school at Lovedale, matriculating in 1963. He worked as a hotel waiter and wine steward, after which he became a clerk in the Department of Bantu Education.
In 1966, Nqakula started as a journalist with the Midland News, a regional weekly newspaper in Cradock. Seven years later, he became a political reporter with Imvo Zabantsundu in King William's Town. From 1976 he worked for the Daily Dispatch in East London until he was placed under an apartheid banning order in 1981. Nqakula was unbanned the following year but, because his village had been redesignated as part of the Ciskei independent homeland, he was unable to re-enter South African territory and was declared a prohibited immigrant.
wn.com/Charles_Nqakula -
China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
wn.com/China -
Chris Heunis
Jan Christiaan Heunis (1927–2006) was a South African Afrikaner lawyer, politician, member of the National Party and former minister in the governments of John Vorster and P.W. Botha.
Chris Heunis was born in 1927 in Uniondale in the Cape Province (now the Western Cape. After studying in George, he continued his studies in law and became a lawyer in 1951. At the same time, he pursued a political career and became head of the National Party in George District and a member of the municipal council. In 1959, he was elected to the Provincial Council.
Heunis was elected to the House of Assembly in 1970, and in 1974 became Minister of Indian Affairs and Tourism in the government of John Vorster. In 1975, he became Minister of Economic Affairs. In 1979, as part of the P W Botha Government, he participated in the preparation of a new constitution, and in 1982, became Minister of Constitutional Reform. In this role, he put in place the Tricameral Parliament, gave the right to vote to the Coloureds and Indians, in separate chambers of the South African Parliament. He convinced the leader of the Labour Party, Allan Hendrickse, to agree to this reform.
wn.com/Chris_Heunis -
Cristina Fernández
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (Spanish pronunciation: [kɾisˈtina eˈlisaβet ferˈnandes ðe ˈkiɾʃneɾ]; born 19 February 1953), commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, the second female president ever to serve (after Isabel Martínez de Perón, 1974–1976) and the first woman ever reelected. A Justicialist, Fernández served one term as National Deputy and three terms as National Senator for both Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires provinces.
A native of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Fernández is a graduate of the National University of La Plata. She met her husband during her studies, and they moved to Santa Cruz to work as lawyers. In May 1991, she was elected to the provincial legislature. Between 1995 and 2007, she was repeatedly elected to the Argentine National Congress, both as a National Deputy and National Senator. During Kirchner's presidency (2003–2007) she acted as First Lady. Fernández was chosen as the Front for Victory presidential candidate in 2007.
wn.com/Cristina_Fernández -
Cyril Ramaphosa
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African lawyer, trade union leader, activist, politician and businessman. He was born in Soweto, Gauteng province. While Ramaphosa was previously a major figure in South African national politics, he has in recent years become a prominent figure in the business community.
Widely respected as a skilful and formidable negotiator and strategist, Ramaphosa is best known for building up the biggest and most powerful trade union in South Africa — the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) — as well as for the crucial role he played, with Roelf Meyer of the National Party, during the negotiations to bring about a peaceful end to apartheid and steer the country towards its first democratic elections in April 1994.
He is married to Dr. Tshepo Motsepe and he has four children (two with his current wife).
Although he spent most of his childhood in Soweto, he matriculated at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda, in 1971. He subsequently registered to study law at the University of the North (Turfloop) in 1972.
wn.com/Cyril_Ramaphosa -
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (pronunciation: /ˈkæmərən/; born 9 October 1966) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. He represents Witney as its Member of Parliament (MP).
Cameron studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Oxford, gaining a first class honours degree. He then joined the Conservative Research Department and became Special Adviser to Norman Lamont, and then to Michael Howard. He was Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Communications for seven years.
He was defeated in his first candidacy for Parliament at Stafford in 1997, but was elected in 2001 as the Member of Parliament for the Oxfordshire constituency of Witney. He was promoted to the Opposition front bench two years later, and rose rapidly to become head of policy co-ordination during the 2005 general election campaign. With a public image of a youthful, moderate candidate who would appeal to young voters, he won the Conservative leadership election in 2005.
wn.com/David_Cameron -
Dikgang Moseneke
Dikgang Ernest Moseneke (born 20 December 1947) is the current Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa. He was appointed to the bench in 2002 by Thabo Mbeki, and was elevated as Deputy Chief Justice in 2005 by Thabo Mbeki. In 2006, he succeeded Justice Richard Goldstone as Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand.
During apartheid Moseneke had been a prisoner on Robben Island. Whilst imprisoned he served on the disciplinary committee of the prisoners' self-governed association football body, Makana F.A..
Moseneke, now Deputy Chief Justice at the Constitutional Court, was the youngest prisoner on Robben Island when he was sentenced in 1963 at the age of 15(Reference Jonas Butinyana Mashiane)
wn.com/Dikgang_Moseneke -
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈdʒiwmɐ χuˈsɛf] born 14 December 1947) is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff to the President of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The daughter of a Bulgarian entrepreneur, Rousseff was raised in an upper middle class household in Belo Horizonte. She became a socialist during her youth, and following the 1964 coup d'état joined various left-wing and Marxist urban guerrilla groups that fought against the military dictatorship. Rousseff was captured and jailed between 1970 and 1972 and reportedly tortured.
After her release, Rousseff rebuilt her life in Porto Alegre with Carlos Araújo, who would be her partner for 30 years. Both helped found the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) in Rio Grande do Sul, participating in several of the party's electoral campaigns. She became the Secretary of the Treasury of the city of Porto Alegre in the Alceu Collares administration, and later the Secretary of Energy of the State of Rio Grande do Sul under both Collares and Olívio Dutra administrations. In 2000, after an internal dispute in the Dutra cabinet, she left PDT and joined the Workers' Party (PT).
wn.com/Dilma_Rousseff -
Dipuo Peters
Elizabeth Dipuo Peters, born on 13 May 1960, is the Minister of Energy of the Republic of South Africa (from 11 May 2009), in the Zuma administration, having served as successor to Manne Dipico as the second Premier of the Northern Cape Province, 22 April 2004 to 10 May 2009. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she is on the Women's League National Executive Committee.
Peters went to school at Tidimalo Junior Secondary and Tshireleco Senior Secondary in Kimberley. She subsequently studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of the North (1987). She subsequently studied for a Certificate in Development and Public Policy from the University of the Western Cape (1996); a Certificate in Executive Management from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (2002); and a Certificate in International Policy Management, from Havana, Cuba (2002).
Dipuo Peters joined the Young Christian Students, where her political activism began. She participated in Youth Formations in the church and community. She was Deputy Chairperson of the Women's Forum in AZASO which later became SASCO at the University of the North. In Kimberley she was a member of the Galeshewe Youth Congress, an affiliate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). She worked as a volunteer regional organiser for the South African Domestic Worker's Union, recruiting, organising, educating and counseling domestic workers in the Northern Cape (1987). From 1987 to 1990 Peters was Head of the Women's Department at the South African Youth Congress. In 1990 she joined the African National Congress Youth League as the secretary for Women’s Affairs, having been Woman Organiser of the National Executive Council (NEC) of South African Youth Congress (SAYCO), 1987 to 1990.
wn.com/Dipuo_Peters -
Duma Nokwe
Philemon Pearce Dumasile Nokwe (13 May 1927, Evaton – 12 January 1978) was a South African freedom fighter.
wn.com/Duma_Nokwe -
E. J. Khaile
E.J. Khaile was the Secretary-General of the African National Congress from 1927 to 1930. Before this, in the mid-1920s, Khaile was involved with the Cape Town branch of the Communist Party of South Africa.
wn.com/E._J._Khaile -
Ebrahim Patel
Ebrahim Patel is a South African cabinet minister, holding the position of Minister of Economic Development[1]
Ebrahim Patel was born in 1962 in District Six in Cape Town.
He comes from a working class family, with his mother, a garment worker, being the sole bread winner.
He grew up in Lansdowne and Grassy Park.
He has three children, Amilcar, Iqraa and Zamir
He completed high school in 1979 and was one of the Top 10 matriculants nationally, which afforded him bursaries and scholarships that led him to complete a university degree.
He started his tertiary education at the University of the Western Cape in 1980, but due to delays from being political active, he ended up completing his degree through the University of Cape Town a few years later.
Patel became involved in worker and student struggles while at high school and led the student boycott of Fatti’s and Monis products during a worker strike at the pasta factory in 1979.
During his first year at the University of the Western Cape in 1980, he was a leader in a nation-wide student uprising that started in Cape Town. He was detained under Section 10 of the Internal Security Act and was kept for a number of months at Victor Verster prison in Paarl. He was released without being charged.
wn.com/Ebrahim_Patel -
Edna Molewa
Bomo Edna Molewa, known as Edna Molewa (born March 23, 1957), is a South African politician. Molewa became the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs of South Africa on October 31, 2010, as part of a cabinet reshuffle by President Jacob Zuma. She replaced her predecessor, Buyelwa Sonjica.
Edna Molewa completed various Leadership and Management classes in the USA, and is currently sudying at the University of South Africa (UNISA). She holds a certififcate in Negotiating Skills by IMMSA.
wn.com/Edna_Molewa -
Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.
Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. As a young man, he served in the British Armed Forces during the First World War and undertook several foreign tours on behalf of his father, George V. He was associated with a succession of older, married women but remained unmarried until after his abdication as king.
Edward became king when his father died in early 1936. Only months into his reign, he caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to the American socialite Wallis Simpson, who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing that the people would never accept a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands as queen. Additionally, such a marriage would have conflicted with Edward's status as head of the Church of England, which opposed the remarriage of divorced people if their former spouses were still alive. Edward knew that the government led by British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin would resign if the marriage went ahead, which could have dragged the king into a general election and would ruin his status as a politically neutral constitutional monarch. Rather than end his relationship with Simpson, Edward abdicated. He was succeeded by his younger brother Albert, who chose the regnal name George VI. With a reign of 326 days, Edward was one of the shortest-reigning monarchs in British and Commonwealth history. He was never crowned.
wn.com/Edward_VIII -
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, and head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. She is also head of state of the Crown Dependencies.
Elizabeth was born in London, and educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne as George VI in 1936 on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. On the death of her father in 1952, she became Head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Her coronation service in 1953 was the first to be televised. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. Today, in addition to the first four aforementioned countries, Elizabeth is Queen of Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
wn.com/Elizabeth_II -
F. W. de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk (born 18 March 1936), often known as F. W. de Klerk, was the seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. De Klerk was also leader of the National Party (which later became the New National Party) from February 1989 to September 1997.
De Klerk is best known for engineering the end of apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of South Africa into a multi-racial democracy by entering into the negotiations that resulted in all citizens, including the country's black majority, having equal voting and other rights. He won the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in 1991, the Prince of Asturias Award in 1992 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with Nelson Mandela for his role in the ending of apartheid.
He was one of the Deputy Presidents of South Africa during the presidency of Nelson Mandela until 1996, the last white person to hold the position to date. In 1997 he retired from politics.
wn.com/F._W._de_Klerk -
Fikile Mbalula
Fikile Mbalula (born 8 April 1971 in the Free State) is the Minister of Sport and Recreation in the Cabinet of South Africa, a former deputy minister of police, a member of the national executive committee of the African National Congress and former leader of the African National Congress Youth League.
Mbalula was appointed deputy minister of police in the cabinet of Jacob Zuma in May 2009 and is now the minister of sport and recreation after President Jocob Zuma changed his cabinet after lobbying from the ANC Youth League and possibly as a reward for loyalty towards Zuma, according to media speculation.
In the 2009 general elections he was the manager of the ANC election campaign, which was considered highly successful.
Mbalula was elected to the ANC NEC at the party's Polokwane conference in December 2007 in 15th place, measured in number of votes. He subsequently retired as president of the ANC Youth League of which, at age 36, he was no longer eligible to be a member.
Mbalula was elected president of the ANC Youth League in August 2004, having previously held the post of secretary general.
wn.com/Fikile_Mbalula -
Geoff Doidge
Geoffrey Quinton Michael Doidge (born 26 April 1954) is a South African politician and, as of 25 September 2008, is the country's Minister of Public Works.
He was Deputy Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC).
In January 2001 he was appointed by the ANC in the place of Andrew Feinstein, as chair of its study group on public accounts and ANC's official spokesman on the National Assembly's public accounts committee.
wn.com/Geoff_Doidge -
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War (1914–1918) until his death in 1936.
George was a grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. From 1877 to 1891, he served in the Royal Navy. On the death of Victoria in 1901, George's father became King Edward VII, and George was made Prince of Wales. On his father's death in 1910, he succeeded as King-Emperor of the British Empire. He was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar.
As a result of the First World War, other empires in Europe fell while his expanded to its greatest extent. In 1917, he became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, which he renamed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment. His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement, all of which radically changed the political landscape. The Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected House of Commons of the United Kingdom over the unelected House of Lords. In 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent kingdoms within the Commonwealth of Nations. He was plagued by illness throughout much of his later reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII.
wn.com/George_V -
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India, and the first Head of the Commonwealth.
As the second son of King George V, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. He served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during World War I, and after the war took on the usual round of public engagements. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret.
George's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII on the death of their father in 1936. However, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that for political and religious reasons he could not marry Mrs Simpson and remain king. Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor.
wn.com/George_VI -
Gugile Nkwinti
Gugile Ernest Nkwinti (born 18 December 1948) is a South African politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.
Holds a diploma in nursing (psychiatry) as well as a Bachelors degree in Political Science, Public Administration and Applied Economics at Unisa. From 1972 to 1984 he worked as a professional nurse.From 1984 to 1989 he worked for the UDF, in the Eastern Cape, and he also worked as a research assistant in the department of psycholocy at Rhodes University. From 1990 to 1991 he served as the UDF and ANC regional secretary in the Eastern Cape. In 1994 he became the speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, and in 1999 he was elected as MEC for housing, local government and traditional affairs in the province. 2004 saw him holding on to his position as MEC for housing and local government, and in 2009 he was appointed as minister of rural development and land reform.
Southern African land reform is a contentious issue. He has stated that the funds are unavailable to reach the target of redistributing 30% of airable land back to the black majority by 2014. Rather advocating a, partial, policy of reforming reclaimed, but unproductive land (up to 90% according to Nkwinti). He has stated that Nationalisation is not an option, but left future land reform policy to future national debate. He has made contentious statements, on the local news, eNews, that commercial farmers must coperate or share a fate "worse than Zimbabwe". Drawing critical reactions from the agricultural union, TAU-SA, and the Freedom Front Plus and, later, calls for clarity from the Democratic Alliance.
wn.com/Gugile_Nkwinti -
Gwede Mantashe
Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician, holding posts of ANC secretary general and chairperson of the South African Communist Party.
Born in 1943 in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Mantashe was the Secretary-General of the National Union of Mineworkers until their 12th National Conference held in May 2006 where he was succeeded by Frans Baleni. He made history by becoming the first trade unionist to be appointed to the board of Directors of a JSE Limited-listed company, namely Samancor, in 1995.
He served for two years at Chairperson of the Technical Working Group of the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa).
He is a chairperson of the South African Communist Party, and was elected Secretary-General of the African National Congress at the party's 52nd national conference in 2007.
Following a marathon meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress held behind closed doors on 19 and 20 September 2008 at Esselen Park Conference Centre, Gwede Mantashe announced at a news conference that the President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, had been "recalled" by the Party.
wn.com/Gwede_Mantashe -
Helen Zille
Helen Zille (legal name Otta Helene Maree née Zille; born 9 March 1951) is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.
Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth behind the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko while working for the Rand Daily Mail in the late 1970s. She also worked with the Black Sash and other pro-democracy groups during the 1980s. In the political arena, Zille has worked in all three tiers of government—as the Western Cape province's education MEC (1999–2004), as a Member of Parliament (2004–2006), as Mayor of Cape Town (2006–2009), and as Premier of the Western Cape (2009–present).
Zille's work as mayor, and in particular her successes in tackling crime, drug abuse and unemployment in Cape Town, led to her selection as World Mayor of the Year in 2008 - from a field of 820 candidates. She was also chosen as Newsmaker of the year 2006 by the National Press Club in July 2007, and is a former finalist in the South African Woman of the Year Award. Zille speaks English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa as well as German, the language of her parents.
wn.com/Helen_Zille -
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao (Pinyin: Hú Jǐntāo, pronounced [xǔ tɕìntʰɑ́ʊ]; born 21 December 1942) is the current Paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang Zemin as the chief of the fourth generation of leadership of the Communist Party of China.
Hu has been involved in the Communist party bureaucracy for most of his adult life, notably as Party secretary for Guizhou province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and then later first Secretary of the CPC Secretariat and Vice-President under former leader Jiang Zemin. Hu is the first leader of the Communist Party without any significant revolutionary credentials. As such, his rise to the presidency represented China's transition of leadership from establishment communists to younger, more pragmatic technocrats.
During his term in office, Hu has reintroduced state control in some sectors of the economy that were relaxed by the previous administration, and has been conservative with political reforms. Along with his colleague, Premier Wen Jiabao, Hu presided over nearly a decade of consistent economic growth and development that cemented China as a major world power. He sought to improve socio-economic equality domestically through the Scientific Development Concept, which aimed to build a "Harmonious Society" that was prosperous and free of social conflict. Meanwhile, Hu kept a tight lid on China politically, cracking down on social disturbances, ethnic minority protests, and dissident figures. In foreign policy, Hu advocated for "China's peaceful development", pursuing soft power in international relations and a business-oriented approach to diplomacy. Through Hu's tenure, China's influence in Africa, Latin America, and other developing countries has increased.
wn.com/Hu_Jintao -
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born 12 April 1942) is the President of South Africa,elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election.
Zuma is the President of the African National Congress (ANC), the governing political party, and was Deputy President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005. Zuma is also referred to by his initials JZ and his clan name Msholozi. Zuma became the President of the ANC on 18 December 2007 after defeating incumbent Thabo Mbeki at the ANC conference in Polokwane. Zuma was also a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), briefly serving on the party's Politburo until he left the party in 1990. On 20 September 2008, Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation after being recalled by the African National Congress's National Executive Committee, following a conclusion by Judge Nicholson of improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), including the prosecution of Jacob Zuma for corruption.
Zuma has faced significant legal challenges. He was charged with rape in 2005, but was acquitted. In addition, he fought a long legal battle over allegations of racketeering and corruption, resulting from his financial advisor Schabir Shaik's conviction for corruption and fraud. On 6 April 2009, the National Prosecuting Authority decided to drop the charges, citing political interference.
wn.com/Jacob_Zuma -
James Moroka
Doctor James Sebe Moroka, OLG (16 March 1891 – 10 November 1985) was a medical doctor and a politician, who was the president of the African National Congress 1949–1952.
Moroka was elected as the president of the ANC by the support of the African National Congress Youth League and its leaders Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela in December 1949. During Moroka's presidency, the ANC started to implement more militant tactics in fighting the country's Apartheid regime.
In 1952 Moroka was convicted of "statutory communism" according to the Suppression of Communism Act with 20 other defendants. During the trial Moroka pleaded for mitigation and rejected ANC's principles of racial equality and was soon expelled from the party.
wn.com/James_Moroka -
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS,PC (24 May 1870 – 11 September 1950) was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948. He served in the First World War and as a British field marshal in the Second World War.
He led commandos in the Second Boer War for the Transvaal. During the First World War, he led the armies of South Africa against Germany, capturing German South-West Africa and commanding the British Army in East Africa. From 1917 to 1919, he was also one of five members of the British War Cabinet, helping to create the Royal Air Force. He became a field marshal in the British Army in 1941, and served in the Imperial War Cabinet under Winston Churchill. He was the only person to sign the peace treaties ending both the First and Second World Wars.
One of his greatest international accomplishments was the establishment of the League of Nations, the exact design and implementation of which relied upon Smuts. He later urged the formation of a new international organisation for peace: the UN. Smuts wrote the preamble to the United Nations Charter, and was the only person to sign the charters of both the League of Nations and the UN. He sought to redefine the relationship between the United Kingdom and her colonies, helping to establish the British Commonwealth, as it was known at the time. However, in 1946 the General Assembly requested the Smuts government to take measures to bring the treatment of Indians in South Africa into line with the provisions of the United Nations Charter.
wn.com/Jan_Smuts -
Jesus Christ
Jesus ( /ˈdʒiːzəs/; Greek: Ἰησοῦς; 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE), also referred to as Jesus Christ or simply Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and most Christian denominations venerate him as God the Son incarnated. In Islam, Jesus (in Arabic: عيسى in Islamic usage, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets.
Most modern historians agree that Jesus existed and was a Jewish teacher from Galilee in Roman Judaea, who was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate. Scholars have offered competing descriptions and portraits of Jesus, which at times share a number of overlapping attributes, such as a rabbi, a charismatic healer, the leader of an apocalyptic movement, a self-described Messiah, a sage and philosopher, or a social reformer who preached of the "Kingdom of God" as a means for personal and egalitarian social transformation. Scholars have correlated the New Testament accounts with non-Christian historical records to arrive at an estimated chronology of Jesus' life.
wn.com/Jesus_Christ -
Johannes de Klerk
Johannes de Klerk (22 July 1903 – 24 January 1979) was a South African politician, a member of the National Party, Senator (1955–1975), Minister of Work and Public Works (1954–1958), Work and Mines (1958–1961), Home Affairs, Work and Immigration (1961), Home Affairs, Education and Arts and Sciences (1961–1966), Education, Arts and Sciences and Information (1966–1967) and National Education (1968–1969). He was also President of the Senate from 1969 to 1976. Subsequent to this, he served as interim State President for nine days following the retirement of Jacobus Johannes Fouché in 1975.
Son of Reverend Willem de Klerk and his wife Aletta Johannes van Rooy, Jan de Klerk was born 22 July 1903 in Burgersdorp. He spent his childhood in Potchefstroom, in South-West Transvaal. Graduating from Potchefstroom University (1926) where he was the President of the Student Union, he married Hendrina Cornelia Coutzer on 27 April 1927, and had two sons, Willem Johannes and Frederick Willem de Klerk, future president of South Africa.
wn.com/Johannes_de_Klerk -
José Manuel Barroso
José Manuel Durão Barroso (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ mɐnuˈɛɫ duˈɾɐ̃w bɐˈʁozu]; born 23 March 1956) is the 11th and current President of the European Commission and a Portuguese politician. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 6 April 2002 to 17 July 2004.
Durão Barroso (as he is known in Portugal) graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and has an MSc in Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Geneva (Institut Européen de l'Université de Genève) in Switzerland. His academic career continued as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon. He did research for a PhD at Georgetown University and Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. but his CV does not list any doctoral degree (except honorary). He is a 1998 graduate of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar. Back in Lisbon, Barroso became Director of the Department for International Relations at Lusíada University (Universidade Lusíada). He received honorary degrees from many Universities listed under honorary degrees.
wn.com/José_Manuel_Barroso -
Jozua François Naudé
Jozua François ('Tom') Naudé (15 April 1889, Middelburg, Eastern Cape – 31 May 1969) served as Acting State President of South Africa from 1967 to 1968.
A National Party politician for many years, he served as Minister of Posts and Telegraphs from 1950 to 1954, as Minister of Health from 1954 to 1958, and as Minister of Finance from 1958 to 1961. He was then appointed President of the Senate, and in terms of the republican constitution he would be required ex officio to act as State President whenever that office was vacant. He was unexpectedly called upon to do this when Dr Eben Dönges, who was elected to succeed C.R. Swart as State President in 1967, suffered a stroke and fell into a coma before he could be inaugurated. Naudé was Acting State President for ten months, until Dönges died and Jim Fouché was inaugurated in his place.
Tom Naudé Technical High School in Polokwane (previously Pietersburg) was named after him.
wn.com/Jozua_François_Naudé -
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since 24 June 2010.
Gillard was born in Barry, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved to Melbourne. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees in 1986. In 1987, Gillard joined the law firm Slater & Gordon working in industrial law, before entering politics.
Gillard was elected at the 1998 federal election to the House of Representatives seat of Lalor, Victoria, for the Australian Labor Party. Following the 2001 federal election, Gillard was elected to the shadow cabinet with the portfolios of Population and Immigration. The Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs and the Health portfolios were added in 2003. In December 2006, Kevin Rudd was elected Labor leader and Leader of the Opposition, with Gillard as deputy leader.
wn.com/Julia_Gillard -
Julius Malema
Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981, in Seshego) is a South African politician, and the former president of the African National Congress Youth League. Malema occupies a notably controversial position in South African public and political life; having risen to prominence with his support for African National Congress president, and later President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. He has been described by both Zuma and the Premier of Limpopo Province as the "future leader" of South Africa. Less favourable portraits paint him as a "reckless populist" with the potential to destabilise South Africa and to spark racial conflict. He was convicted of hate speech in March 2010 and again in September 2011. In November 2011 he was found guilty of sowing divisions within the ANC and, in conjunction with his two-year suspended sentence in May 2010, was suspended from the party for five years.. In 2011, he was also convicted of hate speech after calling for the murder of white people. On 4 February 2012 the appeal committee of the African National Congress announced that it found no reason to “vary” a decision of the disciplinary committee taken in 2011, but did find evidence in aggravation of circumstances, leading them to impose the harsher sentence of expulsion from the ANC. On April 25 2012 Malema lost an appeal to have his expulsion from the ANC overturned, as this exhausted his final appeal, his expulsion took immediate effect.
wn.com/Julius_Malema -
Kgalema Motlanthe
Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe (pronounced [ˈkxɑ.lɪ.mɑ mʊ.ˈtɬʼɑ.n.tʰɛ]) (born 19 July 1949) is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009, completing the second elected term of Thabo Mbeki.
Following the end of his presidency, Motlanthe was appointed as the Deputy President of South Africa by his successor, current South African president Jacob Zuma. Motlanthe is also concurrently serving as Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC), a position he has held since 2007, likewise under Zuma who is also the current President of the ANC.
Motlanthe, who had maintained a low public profile, was elected to the presidency of South Africa by the South African National Assembly following the resignation of Mbeki, and was widely considered to be acting as a "caretaker president" on behalf of Zuma. Zuma succeeded Motlanthe on 9 May 2009 in a presidential election held by the South African National Assembly, following the 2009 general election which had been won by the ANC.
wn.com/Kgalema_Motlanthe -
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak (Hangul: 이명박; Hanja: 李明博; /ˌliː ˌmjʌŋ ˈbɑːk/; Korean: [i mjʌŋbak̚]; born 19 December 1941) is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the Somang Presbyterian Church. Lee is a graduate of Korea University and also received an honorary degree from Paris Diderot University on May 13, 2011.
Lee altered the South Korean government's approach to North Korea, preferring a more hardline strategy in the wake of increased provocation from the North, but is also supportive of regional dialogue with Russia, China, and Japan. Under Lee, South Korea has been increasing its visibility and influence in the global scene, resulting in the hosting of the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. However, there remains significant controversy in Korea in regards to high profile government initiatives which have caused some factions to engage in civil opposition and protests against the incumbent government and President Lee's Saenuri Party (formerly the Grand National Party). The reformist faction within the Saenuri Party is at odds against Lee Myung-bak.
wn.com/Lee_Myung-bak -
Lindiwe Hendricks
Lindiwe Benedicta Hendricks (b. July 29, 1957 in Vryburg, Northern Cape) is a South African politician and a member of the National Assembly. She has served as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry in Kgalema Motlanthe's cabinet since 2006.
She previously served as Minister of Minerals and Energy from 2005 to 2006, and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry from 1999 to 2005. She was a partner of Ngwane & Ngwane Attorneys, a law firm based in Durban, from 1986 to 1988, and was an attorney at the Supreme Court from 1995 to 1999.
wn.com/Lindiwe_Hendricks -
Lindiwe Sisulu
Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu (born 10 May 1954) is a South African politician, member of parliament since 1994, member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress and Minister of Housing from 2004 to 2009, and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans since 2009.
Sisulu was born to ANC leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu in Johannesburg.
From 1975 to 1976 Sisulu was detained for her anti-apartheid activities. During her exile from 1977 to 1979 she joined the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe, specializing in Intelligence.
In 1980 Sisulu received a BA degree and Diploma in Education, and in 1981 received a BA Hons in History from the University of Swaziland. She also received an MA in History, and in 1989 an MPhil from the Centre for Southern African Studies at the University of York.
Lindiwe Sisulu's flagship housing project called the N2 Gateway has been embroiled in a number of controversies. Joe Slovo Informal Settlement has adamantly refused to be relocated to Delft, Cape Town to make way for government bond and free houses. After a protest by Joe Slovo residents, Sisulu drew significant criticism from civic groups for saying "if they choose not to cooperate with government, they will be completely removed from all housing waiting lists.” A spate of letters exchanged between Sisulu and UWC Professor Martin Legassick also received attention because Legassick called into question Sisulu's refusal to meet directly with the residents of Joe Slovo.
wn.com/Lindiwe_Sisulu -
Louis Botha
Louis Botha (27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war hero during the Second Boer War he would eventually fight to have South Africa become a British Dominion.
He was born in Greytown (now in KwaZulu-Natal) as one of 13 children born to Louis Botha Senior (26 March 1827 – 5 July 1883) and Salomina Adriana van Rooyen (31 March 1829 – 9 January 1886). He briefly attended the school at Hermannsburg before his family relocated to the Orange Free State.
Botha led "Dinuzulu's Volunteers", a group of Boers that supported Dinuzulu against Zibhebhu in 1884. He later became a member of the parliament of Transvaal in 1897, representing the district of Vryheid.
In 1899, Botha fought in the Second Boer War, initially under Lucas Meyer in Northern Natal, and later as a general commanding and fighting with impressive capability at Colenso and Spioen kop. On the death of P. J. Joubert, he was made commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, where he demonstrated his abilities again at Belfast-Dalmanutha. After the battle at the Tugela botha granted a twenty-four hour armistice to General Buller to enable him to bury his dead.
wn.com/Louis_Botha -
Malusi Gigaba
Knowledge Malusi Nkanyezi Gigaba (August 30, 1971 in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal) is the Minister of Public Enterprises in the government of South Africa. First elected to the National Assembly of South Africa in 1999 as part of the African National Congress, he resigned in 2001 but was re-elected in 2004. As Deputy Minister of Home Affairs has was very vocal against xenophobia, actively advocating for inclusion of all Africans. He was involved in a new visa system allowing easier legal flow of migration between South Africa and Zimbabwe. This and positive changes made in the department have won him praise from human rights organization PASSOP and from Adbell Musati, whose Zimbabwean twin brother starved outside of the South African home affairs offices.
Gigaba has also been active in youth organizations, and was elected president of the African National Congress Youth League three times in a row (1996, 1998, 2001).
He earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) in 1991, and a master's degree in social policy in 1994.
wn.com/Malusi_Gigaba -
Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi (born 27 August 1928) is a South African Zulu politician who founded the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975. His praise name is Shenge.
Mangosuthu (born Gatsha) was born on 27 August 1928, in Mahlabathini, KwaZulu, to Chief Mathole Buthelezi and Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu, the sister of King Solomon kaDinuzulu. He was educated at Impumalanga Primary School, Mahashini, Nongoma from 1933 to 1943, then at Adams College, Amanzimtoti from 1944 to 1947.
Mangosuthu studied at University of Fort Hare from 1948 to 1950, where he joined the African National Congress Youth League and came into contact with Robert Mugabe and Robert Sobukwe. He was expelled from the university after student boycotts. He later completed his degree at the University of Natal. In 1964 he played King Cetshwayo (his own maternal great-grandfather) in the film Zulu.
Buthelezi inherited the chieftainship of the large Buthelezi tribe in 1953: a position he still holds today.
In 1970, Buthelezi was appointed leader of the KwaZulu territorial Authority and in 1976 became chief minister of the quasi-independent Bantustan of KwaZulu. The emerging Black Consciousness Movement of the 1970s branded him an Apartheid regime collaborator, because of his strong anti-Communist belief. However, he consistently declined homeland independence and political deals until Nelson Mandela was released from prison and the African National Congress was made legal.
wn.com/Mangosuthu_Buthelezi -
Marais Viljoen
Marais Viljoen (2 December 1915 – 4 January 2007) was the last ceremonial State President of South Africa from 4 June 1979 until 3 September 1984. Viljoen became the last of the ceremonial presidents of South Africa when he was succeeded in 1984 by an executive president, P. W. Botha.
Viljoen was the youngest of six children. He was married on 20 April 1940 to Dorothea Maria Brink (17 September 1917 – 5 October 2005), with whom he had one daughter Elizabeth Magdalena (Elna) Viljoen.
Before entering a political career, he worked in the Post Office, and thereafter at the Afrikaans language newspaper, Die Transvaler, edited by Hendrik Verwoerd, who later became Prime Minister.
Viljoen was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Alberton, near Johannesburg, as President of the Senate, and as acting State President from 21 August 1978 to 10 October 1978, after which B.J. Vorster was briefly elected to the position. Viljoen was seen as a relatively moderate member of the National Party that instituted apartheid.
wn.com/Marais_Viljoen -
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. As the wife of a Senator, and later the First Lady, she has become a fashion icon and role model for women, and an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating.
wn.com/Michelle_Obama -
Mosibudi Mangena
Mosibudi Mangena (born 1947) is a South Africa politician and the President of the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO). He was the Minister of Science and Technology from 2004 to 2008.
He was born in Tzaneen, matriculated from Hebron Training College in 1969 and achieved an MSc degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of South Africa (called the University of Azania on the AZAPO website). He joined the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) and was elected onto the Students Representative Council at the University of Zululand in 1971. Moving back to Pretoria, he became chairperson of the SASO Pretoria branch in 1972. He chaired the Botswana region of the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA) in 1981 and the BCMA central committee from 1982 to 1994.
Mangena returned from exile in 1994 and became leader of AZAPO. He was appointed as Deputy Minister of Education in South Africa by President Thabo Mbeki in 2001, and he became Minister of Science and Technology in 2004.
wn.com/Mosibudi_Mangena -
Mosiuoa Lekota
Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota (born 13 August 1948) is a South African politician who currently serves as the President and Leader of the Congress of the People since 16 December 2008. Previously, under President Thabo Mbeki, he served in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister of Defence from 17 June 1999 to 25 September 2008. His nickname Terror Lekota comes from his playing style on the soccer field. He was a leader of the United Democratic Front and a key defendant in the Delmas Treason Trial, 1985 to 1988.
Lekota was born in Kroonstad. He had his primary education at Emma Farm School and most of his secondary education at Mariazel High School in Matatiele. However, he matriculated at St. Francis College in Mariannhill in 1969. Although he enrolled for a social science degree at the University of the North, Lekota was expelled due to his Student Representative Council- and Black Consciousness Movement-aligned South African Students' Organization (SASO) activities in 1972.
Lekota became a permanent organiser for SASO in 1974, but was imprisoned at Robben Island Prison for "conspiring to commit acts endangering the maintenance of law and order" during the same year. He had organised victory rallies to celebrate the independence of Mozambique. He was released from prison in 1982.
wn.com/Mosiuoa_Lekota -
Naledi Pandor
Naledi Pandor (born December 7, 1953) is the South African Minister of Science and Technology. She was appointed to the cabinet following the 2004 South African general elections.
Naledi Grace Pandor (née Matthews), was born in Durban, Natal, her grandfather was Z.K. Matthews, a respected anti-apartheid teacher and reformist, who was a member and Cape President of the African National Congress.
She was elected to parliament in 1994 and was appointed Chairperson of The National Council of Provinces by President Thabo Mbeki in 1999. She served as Minister of Education from 2004 until 2009 under Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. She oversaw a complete overhall of the Education system under her tenure. She was appointed Minister of Science and Technology in May 2009 by President Jacob Zuma.
wn.com/Naledi_Pandor -
Nathi Mthethwa
Emmanuel Nkosinathi (Nathi) Mthethwa (born 23 January 1967 in KwaZulu-Natal) is a South African politician from Kwa Mbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal and a member of the ANC. He was the ANC Chief Whip in the National Assembly. After Thabo Mbeki's resignation, he became Minister of Safety and Security (Police) on 25 September 2008 as a member of President Kgalema Motlanthe's cabinet.
wn.com/Nathi_Mthethwa -
Ngconde Balfour
Ngconde Balfour (born 23 August 1954) is a South African politician and has been Minister of Correctional Services since 2004.
Balfour was born in the Eastern Cape and completed his schooling at Jabavu High School in the town of Alice. He went on to study at Lovedale College and Fort Hare University. After spending time as a political detainee, Balfour went into exile in Australia from 1989 to 1992. While in Australia, he attended Victoria University, Australia.
Balfour has been a South African Member of Parliament since 1996 and was appointed as Minister of Correctional Services on 29 April 2004.
Following the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki in September 2008, Balfour was one of ten ministers who submitted their resignations on 23 September, although it was subsequently announced that he might be willing to remain in his post. He was retained in his post in the Cabinet announced on 25 September.
His wife Thozama Mqobi-Balfour, Correctional services regional commissioner for Gauteng, was suspended pending the outcome of a disciplinary process for renting a house in the Woodhill golf estate in Pretoria for some R30000 a month despite having the use of an official residence. She was also named by Auditor-General Terence Nombembe as one of 49 government officials who benefited from government contracts worth R74m. Fellow National commissioner Xoliswa Sibeko was also suspended for renting a home in the same golf estate for R35000 a month.
wn.com/Ngconde_Balfour -
Oliver Tambo
Oliver Reginald Tambo (27 October 1917 – 24 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC).
Oliver Tambo was born on 27 October 1917, his father was Mzimeni and his mother was his third wife called Julia. He was born in the village of Kantolo in Bizana in eastern Pondoland in what is now Eastern Cape. He went to school at Holy Cross Mission School, and then transferred to St. Peters in Johannesburg. After matriculation he qualified to do his university degree at Fort Hare University. In 1940 he, along with several others including Nelson Mandela, was expelled from Fort Hare University for participating in a student strike. In 1942 Tambo returned to his former high school in Johannesburg to teach science and mathematics.Tambo, along with Mandela and Walter Sisulu, was a founding member of the ANC Youth League in 1943, becoming its first National Secretary and later a member of the National Executive in 1948. The youth league proposed a change in tactics in the anti-apartheid movement. Previously the ANC had sought to further its cause by actions such as petitions and demonstrations; the Youth League felt these actions were insufficient to achieve the group's goals and proposed their own 'Programme of Action'. This programme advocated tactics such as boycotts, civil disobedience, strikes and non-collaboration.
wn.com/Oliver_Tambo -
Owen Alik Shahadah
Owen 'Alik Shahadah (b. 1973) (Arabic: اليك شحادة) is a director, African writer, and scholar. He is an expert in African culture, African slavery, and the Arab slave trade. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace. Born in Hanover, Germany and educated in England, New York, and the Caribbean, Shahadah is of a new generation of African Diaspora filmmakers inspired by the likes of Malcolm X and Kwame Ture. He produces work that articulates a multidimensional African world perspective. Testimony to this is 500 Years Later and Motherland (film). As a cultural writer he is a leading critic of the terms black people and Sub-Saharan Africa, he states they are products of racism to undermine African history and cultural contributions. He argues for African agency and economic ownership of African culture by Africans.
Shahadah studied Aeronautical Engineering (BEng) in London and zoology (Bsc) at the University of the West Indies. Despite a science background his writings focus on revisiting academic racism and African history within an African framework. Notable he is author of arabslavetrade.com, a leading website on the Arab slave trade in Africa. He spent his teenage years growing up in Brooklyn New York. He also professes to a keen interest in anthropology, natural history, linguistics and is a qualified PADI divemaster (scuba diver).
wn.com/Owen_Alik_Shahadah -
Pallo Jordan
Dr Zweledinga Pallo Jordan (born 22 May 1942 in Kroonstad, Free State) was the Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa from 29 April 2004 to 10 May 2009. He studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States (1962) and also acquired a post-graduate degree from the London School of Economics.
wn.com/Pallo_Jordan -
Paul Mashatile
Paul Mashatile (born 21 October 1961) is the current Minister of Arts and Culture in the Cabinet of South Africa.
He is the former Premier of Gauteng province in South Africa and a member of the African National Congress. Mashatile replaced Mbhazima Shilowa on 7 October 2008, after Shilowa resigned in protest against the decision of the African National Congress to remove President Thabo Mbeki from office. Mashatile was replaced as Premier by Nomvula Mokonyane on 6 May 2009.
As a student, Mashatile was an activist in the struggle against apartheid as a member of the Congress of South African Students, and was the co-founder and first president of the Alexandra Youth Congress. He was detained without trial from 1985-1989, and participated in a nation-wide protest by engaging in an 18-day hunger strike. When the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party were unbanned in 1990, he helped re-establish them and continued to organize on their behalfs. He has held various administrative positions in Guateng province, including serving in its legislature as Leader of the House.
wn.com/Paul_Mashatile -
Paul Ngobeni
Paul Mpande Ngobeni was born in Lydenburg, Transvaal Province, South Africa on September 1, 1960. He went to the United States on a scholarship in 1982 graduated with a BA (magna cum laude) from Hamilton College, New York and Doctor of Jurisprudence (Juris Doctor, or JD, approximately equivalent to LLB) degree from New York University School of Law. He is currently employed as a special advisor to the South African Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs. He was previously employed by the University of Cape Town as a Deputy Registrar, Legal Services. In 2007 Mr Ngobeni was appointed to serve on a task team advising the African National Congress on constitutional law matters where he assisted in designing its legal strategy for successfully defending South African President Jacob Zuma against corruption charges. He has also served as a consultant for the South African Ministry of Housing on various legal matters, including transformation.
Paul Ngobeni was admitted to practise law in the State of Connecticut December 1989 and to the State of Massachusetts on June 14, 1990 During his practice in the United States, Mr Ngobeni litigated many cases which have been published[citation needed] and were for the most part cases of first impression, such as the case of Scott v. Robert Jamison, et al., where he (unsuccessfully) defended Robert Jamison against complaints from Juliet Scott that she was physically and verbally assaulted and harassed, denied equal services, and threatened with eviction on the basis of her race and colour and of her children’s race and colour in violation of General Statutes § 46a-64c(a) and Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.
wn.com/Paul_Ngobeni -
Pravin Gordhan
Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan (born 12 April 1949 in Durban) is a South African politician, serving as Minister of Finance since May 2009. He was previously the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service from 1999 to 2009. From 1991 and 1994, he chaired the Convention for a Democratic South Africa. He was also co-chairman of the Transitional Executive Council, which oversaw the transition to the first democratically elected government.[citation needed]
As a member of parliament from 1994 to 1998, Gordhan chaired the parliamentary committee that focused on the implementation of the new Constitution and the transformation of local government in the post-apartheid. Gordhan was re-elected for the fourth time as Council Chairman of the World Customs Organization in 2004.[citation needed]
On 10 May 2009, President Jacob Zuma appointed Gordhan as Minister of Finance, succeeding Trevor Manuel.
Gordhan was attacked[why?] by the ANC Youth League following his 2010 budget speech, but he was defended by trade union COSATU, and by the ANC's national executive committee.
wn.com/Pravin_Gordhan -
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (IPA: [ɾeˈd͡ʒep tajˈjip ˈæɾdoan]; born 26 February 1954) has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara University's Faculty of Economics and Commercial Sciences. Erdoğan was also a semi-professional footballer from 1969 to 1982.
Erdoğan was elected Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections of 27 March 1994. He was banned from office and sentenced to a prison term for reciting a poem during a public address in the province of Siirt on 12 December 1997. The poem was allegedly quoted from a book published by a state enterprise and one that had been recommended to teachers by the Ministry of Education. After six months in prison, Erdoğan established the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on August 14, 2001. From its first year, the AK Party became the largest publicly-supported political movement in Turkey. In the general election of 2002 the AK Party won nearly two-thirds of the seats in parliament, forming the first single-party government for 9 years.
wn.com/Recep_Tayyip_Erdoğan -
Ronnie Kasrils
Ronald Kasrils (commonly known as Ronnie Kasrils) (born November 15, 1938) is a South African politician. He was Minister for Intelligence Services from 27 April 2004 to 25 September 2008. He was a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1987 to 2007 as well as a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) from December 1986 to 2007.
His wife Eleanor Kasrils was also a prominent anti-apartheid activist.
Kasrils' grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Latvia and Lithuania who fled from Czarist pogroms at the end of the 19th century. He is the son of Rene (born Cohen) and Isidore Kasrils. His father was a factory salesman. His mother worked as a shop assistant prior to her marriage. Kasrils matriculated at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg. He subsequently became a script writer for films in Johannesburg from 1958 to 1960 before accepting a position as a television and film director for Lever Brothers' advertising division in Durban from 1960 to 1962.
wn.com/Ronnie_Kasrils -
S'bu Ndebele
Sibusiso Joel "S'bu" Ndebele (born 17 October, 1948, Rorke's Drift, KwaZulu-Natal), is the current Minister of Transport in the Cabinet of South Africa. He has been on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1997, and was the Provincial Chair of the ANC from 1998 to 2008.
From 2004 to 2009 he was the Premier of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Between 1994 and 2004 he was on the Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal, as the MEC for Transport.
He attended primary school at Makhaseneni, near Melmoth, and matriculated from Eshowe Teachers’ Training and High School in Eshowe.
He obtained a degree in library science from the University of Zululand in 1972, a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Politics and African Politics from the University of South Africa in 1983, and an honours degree in Development Administration and Politics in 1985.
He was publicity secretary of the South African Students Organisation at the University of Zululand (1972). Shortly thereafter, in 1974, he joined the African National Congress underground and went into exile in Swaziland. He was arrested for ANC activities in May 1976 and was sentenced to ten years on Robben Island in June 1977.
wn.com/S'bu_Ndebele -
Sandile Ngcobo
S. Sandile Ngcobo (born 1 March 1953) is former justice in the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He served as Chief Justice from 2009 to 2011.
Justice Ngcobo received a Fulbright scholarship and he holds an LLM degree from Harvard Law School, where he is a visiting professor of law. He is also a visiting professor of law at Columbia Law School.
From 1986 to 1987, Ngcobo clerked for A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., a United States federal judge.
Ngcobo was made an honorary professor of law by the University of Cape Town.
He was appointed to the Constitutional Court in 1999 by Nelson Mandela. Prior to this he was a judge in the Cape High Court and the Labour Appeal Court.
On 6 August 2009, President Jacob Zuma nominated Ngcobo to succeed Pius Langa as Chief Justice of South Africa in October 2009.
wn.com/Sandile_Ngcobo -
Schabir Shaik
Schabir Shaik is a South African businessman from the Berea, Durban, who rose to prominence due to his close association with South African President Jacob Zuma during his time as Deputy President. On 2 June 2005, he was found guilty of corruption and fraud, which also led to the dismissal of Zuma two weeks later from his position as Deputy President.
A South African of Indian origin, Shaik studied electrical engineering at the M.L. Sultan Technikon, but was caught cheating in a High Voltage Engineering T5 exam on 28 May 1990 and was barred for 12 months. He claimed to have obtained a master's degree, but no record of this was found at the Technikon; he later admitted he did not earn the qualification.
He had a long-standing friendship with Jacob Zuma, who needed assistance with his finances after returning from political exile in Mozambique in 1990. Zuma had been elected Chairperson of the African National Congress, and Shaik assisted him financially, mostly in the form of interest-free loans with no date of repayment.
wn.com/Schabir_Shaik -
Sicelo Shiceka
Sicelo Shiceka (8 June 1966 – 30 April 2012) was a South African politician.
A member of the African National Congress, Shiceka was a member of the National Assembly and was chosen by President Jacob Zuma as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in May 2009. From 2008-09, Shiceka was the Minister of Provincial and Local Government under interim President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Shiceka was, until his death, on sick leave (since 24 February 2011), and his duties as Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs were being performed by the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, in an acting capacity. Shiceka died from complications relating to HIV
Previous posts Shiceka held included Leader of the Azanian Students Organisation (1987), Provincial Secretary of the SACP (1991), Provincial Secretary of COSATU (1992) and Member of the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council of the ANC (1996). He was also a director of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee.
Shiceka earned an M.A. in political economy from the University of the Free State, and diplomas in labour relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
wn.com/Sicelo_Shiceka -
Siphiwe Nyanda
General Siphiwe Nyanda SSA SBS CSL DMG MMS MMM (born 1950) is a South African politician, former Minister of Communications from 2009 - 2010.
He was a South African military commander. He joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress, in 1974, and served as a field commander during the liberation struggle against the South African government in the 1980s. He was appointed MK Chief of Staff in 1992, and served on the Transitional Executive Council which oversaw the change of government in 1994.
Maj Gen Nyanda transferred to the South African National Defence Force, into which MK was incorporated in 1994, and served successively as Chief of Defence Force Staff (1994-1996), General Officer Commanding Gauteng Command (1996-1997), Deputy Chief of the SANDF (1997-1998), and Chief of the SANDF (1998-2005).
In 1999 General Nyanda was awarded the Order of the Star of South Africa (Gold)
Nyanda was a controversial figure throughout the 18 months that he was minister of communications. Dubbed the “minister of luxury” by South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, Nyanda was alleged to have spent hundreds of thousands of rands living in a luxurious Cape Town hotel throughout his tenure because he was unhappy with the ministerial house appointed to him.
wn.com/Siphiwe_Nyanda -
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper, PC MP (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election. He is the first prime minister from the newly reconstituted Conservative Party, following a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties.
Harper has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Calgary Southwest in Alberta since 2002. Earlier, from 1993 to 1997, he was the MP for Calgary West. He was one of the founding members of the Reform Party, but did not seek re-election, and instead joined, and shortly thereafter led, the National Citizens Coalition. In 2002, he succeeded Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance (the successor to the Reform Party) and returned to parliament as Leader of the Opposition. In 2003, he reached an agreement with Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay for the merger of their two parties to form the Conservative Party of Canada. He was elected as the party's first non-interim leader in March 2004.
wn.com/Stephen_Harper -
Susan Shabangu
Susan Shabangu is a South African politician, appointed Minister of Mining in 2009.
In April 2008 Shabangu, in her role as deputy minister of safety and security, told an audience of police officers to "kill the bastards", referring to criminals. The remark was widely reported. and criticised.
In March 2003 Shabangu was charged with public indecency after an altercation with an airport security official in which she lifted her dress after repeatedly setting off a metal detector.
wn.com/Susan_Shabangu -
Sydney Mufamadi
Fholisani Sydney Mufamadi (born 28 February 1959) is a South African politician. He was Minister of Safety and Security from 1994 to 1999 and Minister of Provincial and Local Government from 1999 to 2008.
Mufamadi was born on 28 February 1959 in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, the eldest of the four children of Masindi and Reuben Mufamadi. He grew up in Meadowlands, Gauteng, and Tshisahulu, Venda (today Limpopo Province), where he first looked after his grandfather's cattle before attending school. Both his father and mother worked in Johannesburg, selling home-brewed alcoholic beverages to supplement the family income. His mother was subsequently arrested for illegally selling alcohol, and thus he experienced the apartheid era legal system first-hand at an early age.
Mufamadi completed his schooling at Khwevha High School in Shayandima, Venda, in 1977.
He holds a Master of Science degree in State, Society and Development from the University of London, and is a Doctoral candidate there specializing in Political Economy of Automotive Manufacturing.
wn.com/Sydney_Mufamadi -
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (pronunciation: [tʰaɓɔ mbɛːkʼi]; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki. On 20 September 2008, he announced his resignation after being recalled by the African National Congress's National Executive Committee, following a conclusion by Judge Nicholson of improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), including the prosecution of Jacob Zuma for corruption. On 12 January 2009, the Supreme Court of Appeal unanimously overturned Judge Nicholson’s judgment but the resignation stood.
Thabo Mbeki was the executive face of government in South Africa from 1994. During his time in office the economy grew at an average rate of 4.5% per annum. Mbeki created employment in the middle sectors of the economy and oversaw a fast growing black middle class with the implementation of BEE. This growth exacerbated the demand for trained professionals strained by emigration due to violent crime, but failed to address unemployment amongst the unskilled bulk of the population. He attracted the bulk of Africa’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and made South Africa the focal point of African growth. He was the architect of NEPAD whose aim is to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for Africa. He also oversaw the successful building of economic bridges to BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations with the eventual formation of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum to "further political consultation and co-ordination as well as strengthening sectoral co-operation, and economic relations".
wn.com/Thabo_Mbeki -
Thoko Didiza
Angela Thoko Didiza (born 2 June 1965) is a South African politician. She became Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs on 17 June 1999 and is currently the Minister of Public Works.
Didiza was born in the city of Durban and has a BA (Hons). She is married and has five children. She was selected as one of the Young Global Leaders by the Forum of Young Global Leaders in 2004.
Following the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki in September 2008, Didiza was one of ten ministers who submitted their resignations on September 23, although it was subsequently announced that she might be willing to remain in her post.
wn.com/Thoko_Didiza -
Tina Joemat-Peterson
Tina Joemat-Peterson (born 18 december 1963 in Kimberley, Northern Cape) is a South African politician, appointed minister of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in 2009.
wn.com/Tina_Joemat-Peterson -
Tokyo Sexwale
Mosima Gabriel Sexwale (born 5 March 1953), commonly known as Tokyo Sexwale (Venda; English approx. /sɛˈxwɑːleɪ/), is the current Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa. A South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. A charismatic leader, Sexwale was imprisoned on Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activities, alongside figures such as Nelson Mandela. After the 1994 general election—the first universal franchise election in South Africa—Sexwale became the Premier of Gauteng Province.
Sexwale was born in the township of Orlando West in Soweto. His father was a clerk at Johannesburg General Hospital. Sexwale grew up amid the turmoil of the black township's upheaval; he was eight when he heard the explosions at a nearby post office of the first bombs in the African National Congress's guerrilla campaign[citation needed]. Sexwale graduated from Orlando West High School in 1973.
Sexwale became a member of the Steve Biko's Black Consciousness Movement in the late 1960s and became a local leader of the radical South African Students' Movement. In the early 1970s, he joined the African National Congress's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe ("spear of the nation"). While in Swaziland, he completed a Certificate in Business Studies at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. In 1975, Sexwale went into exile, undergoing military officers' training in the Soviet Union, where he specialized in military engineering.
wn.com/Tokyo_Sexwale -
Trevor Manuel
Trevor Andrew Manuel (born 31 January 1956) is a South African politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the National Planning Commission. Previously he was the Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2009, during the presidencies of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe; he was one of the country's longest-serving finance ministers. In May 2009, he was re-assigned to head up a National Planning Commission by President Jacob Zuma shortly after the latter's inauguration.
Trevor Manuel was born in Kensington (Cape Town), during the apartheid era and classified as a Cape Coloured. His mother, Philma van Söhnen, was a garment factory worker, and his father, Abraham James Manuel, was a draughtsman. According to Manuel's "family legend", his great-grandfather was a Portuguese immigrant; He had married an indigenous woman. He grew up and was educated in the city. He matriculated in 1973 and studied Civil and Structural Engineering, and later, during his detention, law.[citation needed]
wn.com/Trevor_Manuel -
Tutsi
The Tutsi ( /ˈtʊtsi/;Rwanda-Rundi pronunciation: [tūtsī]), or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically, they were often referred to as the Watutsi and the Wahuma. They are the second largest population division among the three largest groups in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu (largest) and the Twa (smallest). Small numbers of Hema, Kiga and Furiiru people also live in Rwanda.
Conceptions of the supposed ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi have a long history. The definitions of "Hutu" and "Tutsi" people may have changed through time and location. Social structures were not stable throughout Rwanda, even during colonial times under the Belgian rule. The Tutsi aristocracy or elite was distinguished from Tutsi commoners, and wealthy Hutu were often indistinguishable from upper-class Tutsi. When the European colonists conducted censuses, they wanted to identify the people throughout Rwanda-Burundi according to a simple classification scheme. They defined "Tutsi" as anyone owning more than ten cows (a sign of wealth) or with the physical feature of a longer nose, or longer neck, commonly associated with the Tutsi. A person could change from Hutu to Tutsi by obtaining enough cows to acquire the status.[citation needed]
wn.com/Tutsi -
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Russian: Владимир Ильич Ленин; IPA: [vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr ɪlʲˈjitɕ ˈlʲenʲɪn] ( listen); 22 April [O.S. 10 April] 1870 – 21 January 1924) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary, intellectual and politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years (1917–1924), as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a socialist economic system.
As a politician, Lenin was a persuasive and charismatic orator. As an intellectual his extensive theoretic and philosophical developments of Marxism produced Marxism–Leninism, a pragmatic Russian application of Marxism that emphasized the critical role played by a committed and disciplined political vanguard in the revolutionary process, while defending the possibility of a socialist revolution in less advanced capitalist countries through an alliance of the proletarians with the rural peasantry.
Lenin was born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Russian: Владимир Ильич Ульянов) on 22 April [O.S. 10 April] 1870 in the town of Simbirsk in the Russian Empire. Simbirsk, a rural town on the River Volga nearly 1,500 miles from the capital Saint Petersburg, would be renamed upon Ulyanov's death fifty-four years later as "Ulyanovsk" in his honour. That same year, Saint Petersburg itself would be renamed Leningrad after Ulyanov's better-known cadre name.
wn.com/Vladimir_Lenin -
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин; IPA: [vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪr vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ ˈputʲɪn] (
listen); born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician who has been the President of Russia since 7 May 2012. Putin previously served as President from 2000 to 2008 and as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000, and again from 2008 to 2012. Putin also serves as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election; in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.
Because of constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term. After his successor Dmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election, Putin was nominated by Medvedev to be Russia's Prime Minister; Putin took office on 8 May 2008 and a period of so-called "tandemocracy" followed. In September 2011, Putin and Medvedev agreed he should seek a third, non-consecutive term in the 2012 presidential election, which he won in the first round on 4 March 2012.
wn.com/Vladimir_Putin -
Walter Sisulu
Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (May 18, 1912 – May 5, 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC).
Sisulu was born in Engcobo in the Union of South Africa. His mother Alice Mase Sisulu was a Xhosa domestic worker and his father, Albert Victor Dickenson, was white. Dickenson worked in the Railway Department of the Cape Colony from 1903 to 1909 and was transferred to the Office of the Chief Magistrate in Umtata in 1910. His mother was related to Evelyn Mase, Nelson Mandela's first wife. Dickenson didn't play a part in his son's upbringing, and the boy and his sister, Rosabella, were raised by his mother's family, who were descended from the Thembu clan.
Educated in a local missionary school, he left in 1926 to find work. He moved to Johannesburg in 1928 and experienced a wide range of manual jobs.
He married Albertina in 1944, Nelson Mandela was best man at their wedding. The couple had five children, and adopted four more. Sisulu's wife and children were also active in the struggle against apartheid.
wn.com/Walter_Sisulu -
Yoshihiko Noda
Yoshihiko Noda (野田 佳彦, Noda Yoshihiko?, born 20 May 1957) is the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), and a member of the House of Representatives (lower house) in the Diet (national legislature). He was named to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan as a result of a runoff vote against Banri Kaieda in his party, and was formally appointed by the Emperor on 2 September 2011.
Noda was born in Funabashi, Chiba, as a son of a member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Unlike many prominent Japanese politicians, Noda has no family connections to Nagatachō. His parents were too poor to pay for a wedding reception.
Noda graduated from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi Senior High School in 1975. Then, Noda graduated from Waseda University School of Political Sciences and Economics in 1980 and was later accepted into the prestigious Matsushita Institute, an institution founded by Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita that grooms future civic leaders of Japan. While attending the Matsushita Institute, Noda read household gas meters as a part-time job in his native Chiba Prefecture, partially in order to get to know his future constituents better in preparation for a run for office. He was elected to the assembly of Chiba Prefecture for the first time in 1987 at the age of 29.
wn.com/Yoshihiko_Noda -
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ( pronunciation (help·info); born c. 1944) is a Ugandan politician who has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.
Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985. With the notable exception of northern areas, Museveni has brought relative stability and economic growth to a country that has endured decades of government mismanagement, rebel activity and civil war. His tenure has also witnessed one of the most effective national responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Museveni was lauded by the West as part of a new generation of African leaders. His presidency has been marred, however, by invading and occupying Congo during the Second Congo War (the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million deaths since 1998) and other conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Recent developments, including the abolition of presidential term limits before the 2006 elections and the harassment of democratic opposition, have attracted concern from domestic commentators and the international community.
wn.com/Yoweri_Museveni -
Zola Skweyiya
Zola Sidney Themba Skweyiya (born 14 April 1942 in Simon's Town, Western Cape) is a South African politician who was Minister of Public Service and Administration from 1994 to 1999 and Minister of Social Development from 1999 to 2009. Skweyiya was re-elected to the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress in 2007.
Since his return from exile in 1990, he has directed the Department of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. He has helped to set up the Centre for Development Studies and the South African Legal Defence Fund, both at the University of the Western Cape. Skweyiya also serves on the board of trustees of the National Commission for the Rights of Children. He was also elected as president of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations.
Skweyiya was first elected to Parliament in 1994, and he joined the Cabinet as Minister of Public Service and Administration in the same year. He was moved to the position of Minister of Social Development under President Thabo Mbeki in 1999. After 15 years in the Cabinet and Parliament, his retirement from both was announced on 6 May 2009, following the April 2009 general election. As a result, he was not sworn in for the new parliamentary term. He did not leave politics altogether, however; he remained a member of the ANC National Executive Committee and on 7 May 2009 the party announced that he would have a new post working at the ANC Presidency. According to ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe, Skweyiya voluntarily chose to leave parliamentary politics, "contrary to current speculative and surreptitious commentary". He praised Skweyiya's "immense skill and expertise" and said that the ANC still wanted to make use of his abilities.
wn.com/Zola_Skweyiya
Zuma, Jacob Filmography
Famous quotes by Jacob Zuma:
"If you are not made by the newspapers, you can't disappear."
"I feel like the entire state machinery is against me."
"We are united as ANC. Comrade Msholozi is a disciplined cadre of the movement, therefore we'll show that support today and tomorrow and forever,"
"There was nothing that they did not open... no place in which they did not search,"
"He did not advise me of any of my rights and demanded that I sign an acknowledgement of receipt for the warrant. Before the warrant was read out, Dale requested that we all hand over our cellphones... It was not clear why,"
"After a few rings, my brother, Duduzani, went to ascertain who was at the door. When he peered through the peephole, he saw persons dressed in black. All of them appeared to be armed, and he heard them talking about breaking the door down because there was no response to the doorbell. Duduzani opened the door to approximately 10 members of the Scorpions, who entered the flat,"
"There is no reason why there should be any doubt that the principals should accept the agreement."
"An understanding has been reached,"
"This reminds me of the time when I was charged in the high court in Pretoria. Everything inside the court was against me -- from the police to the top,"
"[Manamela said people had used the Scorpions to] settle scores ... Some people have been hell-bent on nailing the deputy president to the cross of corruption."
Send this Playlist by SMS
Email this Page
President Jacob Zuma responds to questions in parliament
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 105:24
- Updated: 23 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma responds to questions in the National Assembly
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_responds_to_questions_in_parliament
Political Exchange with SA President Jacob Zuma - Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:46
- Updated: 26 Oct 2012
(www.abndigital.com) South African President Jacob Zuma, was the launch guest on ABN's new political economy programme 'Political Exchange'. Political Exchange seeks to help businesses make strategic decisions by providing a platform to unpack key policy issues affecting the business environment through interviews and debates with leading politicians, government policymakers and business leaders. The show is anchored by seasoned journalist Karima Brown. President Jacob Zuma highlighted some key issues regarding South Africa's positioning in the political and economic sector.
http://wn.com/Political_Exchange_with_SA_President_Jacob_Zuma_Part_1
Jacob Zuma - South Africa
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 17:00
- Updated: 21 Oct 2012
September 2006 Jacob Zuma, hero of the Zulu nation, has long been considered South Africa's 'President in Waiting.' But following allegations of corruption and rape, can he still secure the top job? To his supporters, Jacob Zuma is the victim of a shadowy conspiracy. "Things were done to destroy his standing and prevent him becoming the next President", states Chief Ngobese. Zuma may have been acquitted of rape and corruption but the charges provided fodder for critics. "We saw his bank statement -- bouncing cheques, unpaid accounts. How can he handle the country's economy if he can't handle his personal finances?" questions journalist Redi Direko. However, his popularity remains unaffected. "The people know me. They see the qualities I have."
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_South_Africa
President Jacob Zuma responds to the issue of land reform
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Updated: 25 Oct 2012
In his reply president Zuma said he and in fact the whole country were stunned by Dr. Mulder's bold denial of historical facts about land dispossession.
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_responds_to_the_issue_of_land_reform
Jacob Zuma - President of South Africa - Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 27:58
- Updated: 10 Aug 2012
(www.abndigital.com) President Jacob Zuma has made job creation and positioning South Africa on the global stage the centrepiece of his maiden term. In this one-hour interview, ABN engages the President on the progress and the challenges made so far. Leaving politics on the backburner, President Zuma will give his opinion on everything from global and BRICS issues to nationalisation of the mines among other topics.
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_President_of_South_Africa_Part_1
Redi Tlhabi interviews President Jacob Zuma
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 129:21
- Updated: 06 Oct 2012
http://wn.com/Redi_Tlhabi_interviews_President_Jacob_Zuma
Jacob Zuma sings "Kill the Boer" at ANC Centenery Celebrations in Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:53
- Updated: 22 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma sings "Kill the Boer" at ANC Centenery Celebrations in Bloemfontein, South Africa in January 2012.
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_sings_Kill_the_Boer_at_ANC_Centenery_Celebrations_in_Bloemfontein,_South_Africa
eNCA | Zuma: Nkandla was Built by my Family and not Government
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 20:08
- Updated: 22 Nov 2012
For more stories visit www.enca.com Parliament, November 16 - The full response by President Jacob Zuma to allegations that his private residence Nkandla has been built with state funds.
http://wn.com/eNCA_|_Zuma_Nkandla_was_Built_by_my_Family_and_not_Government
Trevor Noah: Crazy Normal - President Jacob Zuma's Speech
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:00
- Updated: 23 Nov 2012
Trevor Noah highlights South Africa President Jacob Zuma's unique oratory style. Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre, March 27th, 2011. Follow Trevor at: twitter.com
http://wn.com/Trevor_Noah_Crazy_Normal_President_Jacob_Zuma's_Speech
Highlights from Jacob Zuma's Visit to Primedia
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:50
- Updated: 07 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma visited the Primedia offices for his interview with the reputable Redi Thlabi. While he was on the premises he also got to cut the cake and wish Crimeline a happy 5th birthday.
http://wn.com/Highlights_from_Jacob_Zuma's_Visit_to_Primedia
Govt did not fund my home: Zuma
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:43
- Updated: 19 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma has denied that government had been building residences for him...more on the story...ow.ly
http://wn.com/Govt_did_not_fund_my_home_Zuma
President Jacob Zuma addresses to the UN 67th General Assembly
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:53
- Updated: 08 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma addresses the United Nations 67th General Assembly on the Rule of Law.at National and International Levels, 24 September 2012
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_addresses_to_the_UN_67th_General_Assembly
Opposition parties told to leave Zuma alone
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:58
- Updated: 19 Nov 2012
Social Development Minister, who is also African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) and National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Bathabile Dlamini has called on opposition parties to back off following their call for a motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma. Bathabile together with other league members from KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Gauteng staged a march on the streets of Nkandla near the President's residence in KwaZulu-Natal to pledge their support to him...ow.ly
http://wn.com/Opposition_parties_told_to_leave_Zuma_alone
eNews Exclusive - Two Men Caught Defacing Controversial Zuma Painting
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:19
- Updated: 11 Nov 2012
eNews Exclusive | Our news team's cameras were rolling as two men, one of them believed to be a university professor, defaced the controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg this morning. The men have been taken to the Rosebank police station.
http://wn.com/eNews_Exclusive_Two_Men_Caught_Defacing_Controversial_Zuma_Painting
FRANCE 24 The Interview - Jacob Zuma, South African president
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:47
- Updated: 28 Jul 2012
THE INTERVIEW - In this interview, our guest is South African President Jacob Zuma.
http://wn.com/FRANCE_24_The_Interview_Jacob_Zuma,_South_African_president
President Jacob Zuma receives Namibian President, Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:04
- Updated: 07 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma tightens trade relations with Namibia
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_receives_Namibian_President,_Mr_Hifikepunye_Pohamba
Jacob Zuma sings for ANC's 100th anniversary - no comment
- Order:
- Duration: 1:53
- Updated: 22 Oct 2012
No Comment | euronews: watch the international news without commentary | www.euronews.net South Africa's president Jacob Zuma sings during the African National Congress' centenary celebration in Bloemfontein.
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_sings_for_ANC's_100th_anniversary_no_comment
Jacob Zuma sings kill the Boer
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:05
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
For a version with subtitles, please look here: youtu.be ANC president Jacob Zuma sings kill the Boer in Bloemfontein on the anniversary of the ANC. The ANC is a pro communist terrorist organisation that committed numerous acts of terrorism during its existence. They are also inciting Boer...
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_sings_kill_the_Boer
Vandalising Jacob Zuma Penis Painting
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:58
- Updated: 06 Jun 2012
A painting depicting Jacob Zuma as Lenin being defaced. More ANC: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Vandalising_Jacob_Zuma_Penis_Painting
President Jacob Zuma addresses social dialogue with business, labour and the community sectors
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:27
- Updated: 29 Oct 2012
President Jacob Zuma addresses social dialogue with business, labour and the community sectors on the economy, Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, Pretoria, 12 October 2012.
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_addresses_social_dialogue_with_business,_labour_and_the_community_sectors
Jacob Zuma painting vandalised in South Africa - no comment
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:29
- Updated: 13 Sep 2012
www.euronews.com On Tuesday (May 22) two men vandalised a controversial portrait of Jacob Zuma, the painting featured the South African President with his genitals exposed, intensifying a heated debate about the picture that has enraged the ruling African National Congress. Find us on: Youtube bit.ly Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter twitter.com
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma_painting_vandalised_in_South_Africa_no_comment
COPE once again implied President Jacob Zuma has failed to do his job
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:44
- Updated: 17 Nov 2012
The plight of South Africa's 3 point 2 million unemployed youth took the spotlight in a heated debate in the National Assembly today.
http://wn.com/COPE_once_again_implied_President_Jacob_Zuma_has_failed_to_do_his_job
President Jacob Zuma addresses New Age/SABC Black Business Council Summit
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:49
- Updated: 05 Nov 2012
President Jacob Zuma addresses New Age/SABC Black Business Council Summit, 11 October 2012
http://wn.com/President_Jacob_Zuma_addresses_New_Age_SABC_Black_Business_Council_Summit
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
20 Nov 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling President Barack Obama's whirlwind tour of southeast Asia and meetings with dignitaries will have to walk a tightrope between either appearing to endorse military juntas or truly being committed to ongoing pro-democracy movements. Specifically at issue is Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, a democratic advocate...(size: 5.0Kb)
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
22 Nov 2012
A new battle is underway in Pakistan with its powerful military front-and-centre, but the fight is not against armed insurgents or ideological extremists - this opponent is a muscle-flexing Supreme Court. For the first time in decades, the military's iron grip over the South Asian country has been challenged, and it remains to be seen if it will...(size: 23.7Kb)
photo: AP / Sebastian D'souza
21 Nov 2012
MUMBAI, India - India executed the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 terror attack on Mumbai early Wednesday, India's home ministry said. Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani citizen, was one of 10 gunmen who rampaged through the streets of India's financial capital in November 2008, killing 166 people. Kasab was hung at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at a jail in...(size: 4.5Kb)
photo: AP / Melanie Gouby
21 Nov 2012
Hundreds of government soldiers and police in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surrendered to rebels at a stadium in Goma, Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri has reported from the scene. The M23 rebel group, believed to be backed by Rwanda seized the strategic, provincial capital of Goma in eastern Congo on Tuesday, home to more than 1 million...(size: 18.7Kb)
photo: UN / Logan Abassi
21 Nov 2012
A report by the UN says global attempts to curb emissions of CO2 are falling well short of what is needed to stem dangerous climate change. The UN's Environment Programme says greenhouse gases are 14% above where they need to be in 2020 for temperature rises this century to remain below 2C. The authors say this target is still technically...(size: 3.5Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
23 Nov 2012
Vivian Reddy says he has always regarded it as his duty to help struggle veterans. (David Harrison, M&G;) Our Coverage Vivian Reddy, the Durban tycoon who helped to fund the first phase of President Jacob Zuma's sprawling Nkandla homestead, prides himself on bankrolling ANC struggle veterans. Evidence was led at the corruption trial of...(size: 5.7Kb)
Independent online (SA)
23 Nov 2012
Johannesburg - While the political tide is turning fast against President Jacob Zuma, he has not been sufficiently discredited to lose the battle at Mangaung. So said award-winning investigative journalist Adriaan Basson, author of Zuma Exposed, the much-anticipated account of Zuma’s rise and subsequent unravelling. Addressing the Cape Town...(size: 4.7Kb)
Business Day
23 Nov 2012
In this article Other organisations: African National Congress People: Jacob Zuma THE African National Congressâs chief whip in Parliament, Mathole Motshekga, presumably believed he was acting in the best interests of his leader, his party and himself two weeks ago when he sought to prevent a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma from...(size: 3.9Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
23 Nov 2012
The DA is celebrating its recent legal victories. (David Harrison, M&G;) Our Coverage More Coverage The Democratic Alliance has fought a number of fights in court and in Parliament against the ANC – this against a background of a growing toenadering (rapprochement) between opposition parties. The congress comes a month before the ANC's...(size: 4.7Kb)
Independent online (SA)
23 Nov 2012
Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League’s national executive committee on Thursday officially nominated Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to be elected as president of the ANC at the party’s elective conference in Mangaung next month. Motlanthe was unanimously nominated by the league as the few who wanted to nominate Zuma were outnumbered...(size: 3.2Kb)
Independent online (SA)
23 Nov 2012
While the political tide is turning fast against President Jacob Zuma, he has not been sufficiently discredited to lose the battle at Mangaung. So says award-winning investigative journalist Adriaan Basson, author of “Zuma Exposed”, the much-anticipated account of Zuma’s rise to power and subsequent unravelling. Addressing the...(size: 5.5Kb)
Business Day
23 Nov 2012
In this article People: Jacob Zuma , Lindiwe Mazibuko THE Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday it had decided to urgently appeal to the Constitutional Court against the ruling of the Western Cape High Court dismissing an urgent application by opposition parties to force a parliamentary debate on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob...(size: 3.0Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
23 Nov 2012
Between 2010 and 2012, Jacob Zuma's share of the cost of developments was halved, while the government's bill doubled. (Rogan Ward, M&G;) Our Coverage More Coverage President Jacob Zuma was provided with exhaustive details about progress on the security project at his Nkandla complex in November 2010, documents provided to the M&G Centre for...(size: 7.5Kb)
Business Day
23 Nov 2012
In this article Other organisations: African National Congress People: Jacob Zuma ONE of the worst consequences of President Jacob Zuma weaselling out of corruption charges is that it seems to have sent a clear message to the managers of African National Congress (ANC) regional fiefdoms that wangling your way out of the grasp of justice is an...(size: 2.6Kb)
Business Day
23 Nov 2012
In this article Other organisations: African National Congress People: Lindiwe Sisulu , Nathi Mthethwa , Blade Nzimande , Jacob Zuma THE imbroglio around the extension of President Jacob Zumaâs homestead in Nkandla and the secrecy about who is financing its various phases continues to highlight the credibility of our political leadership and the...(size: 5.2Kb)
Mail Guardian South Africa
23 Nov 2012
Blade Nzimande is no longer President Jacob Zuma's trusted confidante. (Madelene Cronje, MG) Our Coverage That is since being labelled an ultra-leftist during the rule of former president Thabo Mbeki. But the South African Communist Party (SACP) boss, who is also the minister of higher education, has been harshly criticised for his...(size: 7.2Kb)
Independent online (SA)
23 Nov 2012
KwaZulu-Natal - A massive prayer meeting will be held at President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead in Zululand this weekend to pray for him to retain his position as the ANC president at the party’s elective conference in Mangaung next month. A family member, who asked to remain anonymous, said the family had organised the function to...(size: 2.8Kb)
Business Day
23 Nov 2012
Related articles LETTER: Many more questions Accountability should not be an optional extra ANC must note Zuma comes as a package of problems Court dismisses application to force Zuma debate...(size: 1.5Kb)
| Jacob Zuma GCB |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of South Africa | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 May 2009 |
|
| Deputy | Kgalema Motlanthe |
| Preceded by | Kgalema Motlanthe |
| President of the African National Congress | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 18 December 2007 |
|
| Deputy | Kgalema Motlanthe |
| Preceded by | Thabo Mbeki |
| Deputy President of South Africa | |
| In office 14 June 1999 – 14 June 2005 |
|
| President | Thabo Mbeki |
| Preceded by | Thabo Mbeki |
| Succeeded by | Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1999–2005 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (1942-04-12) 12 April 1942 (age 70) Inkandla, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | African National Congress (1959–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo (1973–present) Kate Zuma (1976–2000)[1] Nkosazana Dlamini (1982–1998) Nompumelelo Ntuli (2008–present) Thobeka Mabhija (2010–present)[2] Gloria Bongekile Ngema (2012-present)[3] |
| Children | 20 |
| Religion | Protestantism (Full Gospel Church of Southern Africa)[4] |
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born 12 April 1942) is the President of South Africa,[5] elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election.
Zuma is the President of the African National Congress (ANC), the governing political party, and was Deputy President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005.[6] Zuma is also referred to by his initials JZ[7] and his clan name Msholozi.[8][9] Zuma became the President of the ANC on 18 December 2007 after defeating incumbent Thabo Mbeki at the ANC conference in Polokwane. Zuma was also a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP),[10] briefly serving on the party's Politburo until he left the party in 1990.[11] On 20 September 2008, Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation after being recalled by the African National Congress's National Executive Committee,[12] following a conclusion by Judge Nicholson of improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), including the prosecution of Jacob Zuma for corruption.
Zuma has faced significant legal challenges. He was charged with rape in 2005, but was acquitted. In addition, he fought a long legal battle over allegations of racketeering and corruption, resulting from his financial advisor Schabir Shaik's conviction for corruption and fraud. On 6 April 2009, the National Prosecuting Authority decided to drop the charges, citing political interference.
Contents |
Life and career[link]
Early years[link]
Zuma was born in Nkandla, Zululand (now part of KwaZulu-Natal).[13] His father was a policeman who died when Zuma was still a young boy, and his mother a domestic worker.[14] He received no formal schooling.[15] As a child, he was constantly moving between Zululand and the suburbs of Durban in the area of Umkhumbane (near Chesterville).[16] He has two brothers, Michael and Joseph.[17]
Imprisonment and ban[link]
Zuma engaged in politics at an early age and joined the African National Congress in 1959. He became an active member of Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1962, following the banning of the ANC in 1961. He joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) in 1963.[10] In 1963, he was arrested with a group of 45 recruits near Zeerust in the western Transvaal, currently part of the North West Province. Convicted of conspiring to overthrow the Apartheid government which was led by white minorities, he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, which he served on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and other notable ANC leaders who were also imprisoned there. Whilst imprisoned Zuma served as a referee for prisoners' association football games, organised by the prisoners' own governing body, Makana F.A.[18]
After his release, he was instrumental in the re-establishment of ANC underground structures in the Natal province.[6]
He first left South Africa in 1975 and met Thabo Mbeki in Swaziland, and proceeded to Mozambique, where he dealt with the arrival of thousands of exiles in the wake of the Soweto uprising.
He became a member of the ANC National Executive Committee in 1977. He also served as Deputy Chief Representative of the ANC in Mozambique, a post he occupied until the signing of the Nkomati Accord between the Mozambican and South African governments in 1984. After signing the Accord, he was appointed as Chief Representative of the ANC.
He served on the ANC's political and military council when it was formed in the mid-1980s, and was elected to the politburo of the SACP on April 1989.[19]
In January 1987, Zuma was again forced to leave a country, this time by the government of Mozambique. He moved to the ANC Head Office in Lusaka, Zambia, where he was appointed Head of Underground Structures and shortly thereafter Chief of the Intelligence Department. His tenure there remains the subject of considerable controversy.[10]
Return from exile[link]
Following the end of the ban on the ANC in February 1990, he was one of the first ANC leaders to return to South Africa to begin the process of negotiations.[6]
In 1990, he was elected Chairperson of the ANC for the Southern Natal region, and took a leading role in fighting political violence in the region between members of the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). He was elected the Deputy Secretary General of the ANC the next year, and in January 1994, he was nominated as the ANC candidate for the Premiership of KwaZulu Natal.
The IFP, led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi, put particular emphasis on Zulu pride and political power during this period. In this context, Zuma's Zulu heritage made his role especially important in the ANC's efforts to end the violence, to emphasise the political (rather than tribal) roots of the violence, and to win the support of Zulu people in the region.
Rise to national leadership[link]
Zuma had experience in national leadership, as he started serving in the National Executive committee of the ANC in 1977 when the party was still a liberation movement. By the time he became its president he had served the ANC for thirty years. After the 1994 general election, with the ANC becoming a governing party but having lost KwaZulu-Natal province to the IFP, he was appointed as Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) of Economic Affairs and Tourism for the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, after stepping aside to allow Thabo Mbeki to run unopposed for deputy presidency. In December 1994, he was elected National Chairperson of the ANC and chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, and was re-elected to the latter position in 1996. He was elected Deputy President of the ANC at the National Conference held at Mafikeng in December 1997 and consequently appointed executive Deputy President of South Africa in June 1999.
During this time, he also worked in Kampala, Uganda, as facilitator of the Burundi peace process, along with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Museveni chairs the Great Lakes Regional Initiative, a grouping of regional presidents overseeing the peace process in Burundi, where several armed Hutu groups took up arms in 1993 against a government and army dominated by the Tutsi minority that they claimed had assassinated the first president elected from the Hutu majority.[20]
On 14 June 2005 Zuma was expelled from his post as Deputy President due to corruption and fraud related to the $5-billion weapons acquisition deal by the South African government in 1999. Zuma's successor as Deputy President of South Africa was Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the wife of Bulelani Ngcuka. Mlambo-Ngcuka had been Minister of Minerals and Energy since 1999. While her appointment was widely welcomed by the business community, she was booed publicly at many ANC rallies by Zuma supporters between the time corruption charges had been filed but before rape charges were made with the first booing taking place in Utrecht.[21]
Election as ANC President[link]
In terms of party tradition, as the deputy president of the ANC, Zuma was already in line to succeed Mbeki. The party structures held their nominations conferences in October and November 2007, where Zuma appeared favourite for the post of ANC President, and, by implication, the President of South Africa in 2009.[22][23][24] Zuma was elected President of the ANC on 18 December 2007 with 2329 votes, beating the second-term ANC and South African president Thabo Mbeki's 1505 votes. On 28 December 2007, the National Prosecuting Authority served Zuma an indictment to stand trial in the High Court on various counts of racketeering, money laundering, corruption and fraud.[25]
President of South Africa[link]
In September 2008, the ANC ruled Thabo Mbeki unfit to rule a country, thus ending his parliamentary support and forcing his resignation from the country's presidency. It was announced that the party's deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, would become president until 2009 general elections, after which Zuma would become president.[26][27] He won the election on 6 May and was sworn in as president of South Africa on 9 May 2009.
Political-economic orientation[link]
Zuma is an economic leftist, who described himself as a socialist.[28] He has received support from trade unions and from the South African Communist Party. He also received support from women's and youth leagues of the African National Congress.[28] According to The Guardian and The New York Times, he supports redistribution of wealth, and has allied himself with socialists and communists that seek to redistribute wealth.[28][29] But The Guardian (UK) also reported that Zuma has tried "to reassure foreign investors their interests will be protected."
Corruption charges[link]
Main article: South African Arms Deal
Zuma became embroiled in a corruption related controversy after his financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, was charged with corruption and fraud. Bulelani Ngcuka, the national director of Public Prosecutions at the time, investigated both Zuma and the Chief Whip of the ANC, Tony Yengeni, after allegations of abuse of power were levelled against them. This concerned improper influence in the controversial arms deal, and the question of financial benefit as a result of such influence. While Yengeni was found guilty, the case was dropped against Zuma, with Ngcuka stating, "...that there was prima facie evidence of corruption, but insufficient to win the case in court".[30] Ngcuka moved to private practice after criticism from the ANC over this incident.
In 2004, Zuma became a key figure mentioned in the Schabir Shaik trial. Schabir Shaik, a Durban businessman and his financial advisor, was questioned over bribery in the course of the purchase of Valour class frigates for the South African Navy, a proposed waterfront development in Durban, and lavish spending on Zuma's residence in Nkandla. In the trial Shaik was shown to have solicited a bribe of R500 000 per annum for Zuma in return for Zuma's support for the defence contractor Thomson CSF, documented in the infamous "encrypted fax".[31][32] On 2 June 2005, Shaik was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.[33]
Judge Hilary Squires elaborates in detail on the numerous transactions that transpired between Zuma and Shaik, summarising with "all the accused companies were used at one time or another to pay sums of money to Jacob Zuma". The media mis-quoted Squires with the phrase "A generally corrupt relationship" (existed between Zuma and Shaik), whereas these exact words do not appear in the court transcripts.[34] To the defence of the originators of this phrase, the full transcript[35][36] of the judgment against Shaik actually does mention Zuma 471 times, uses word "corrupt" or "corruption" 54 times, and contains 12 sentences with both the word "corrupt" and the name "Zuma". Media sources later switched to the phrase "mutually beneficial symbiosis", from the judgment's paragraph 235: "It would be flying in the face of commonsense and ordinary human nature to think that he did not realise the advantages to him of continuing to enjoy Zuma's goodwill to an even greater extent than before 1997; and even if nothing was ever said between them to establish the mutually beneficial symbiosis that the evidence shows existed, the circumstances of the commencement and the sustained continuation thereafter of these payments, can only have generated a sense of obligation in the recipient."
After twelve days of intense media speculation about his future, President Thabo Mbeki relieved Zuma of his duties as deputy president on 14 June 2005. Mbeki told a joint sitting of parliament that "in the interest of the honourable Deputy President, the government, our young democratic system and our country, it would be best to release the honourable Jacob Zuma from his responsibilities as Deputy President of the republic and member of the cabinet." Zuma then resigned as a Member of Parliament.
In the aftermath of the Shaik trial, Zuma was formally charged with corruption by the National Prosecuting Authority. The case was struck from the roll of the Pietermaritzburg High Court after the prosecution's application for a postponement (petitioned in order to allow the NPA to secure admissible forms of documentation required as evidence) was dismissed. In dismissing the application for postponement the Court rendered moot the defence's application for a permanent stay of proceedings which would prevent Zuma from being criminally prosecuted.[37]
Zuma's legal team continued to delay proceedings and in spite of Zuma's claim that he desired the matter to appear in court, succeeded in making critical evidence unavailable to the court resulting in the prosecution making an application for postponement on the set date. As the prosecution was not ready the case was struck from the roll after the prosecution's application for a postponement was dismissed,[37] however Zuma's legal team was unsuccessful in its attempts to have the courts grant a permanent stay of proceedings (which would have rendered Zuma immune to prosecution on the charges). This left Zuma open to being recharged with corruption as soon as the NPA completed preparing its case.
On 8 November 2007 the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the National Prosecuting Authority with respect to appeals relating to various search and seizure exercises performed by the and rejected four appeals made by Zuma's defence team. This ruling pertained to the National Prosecuting Authority obtaining the personal diary of senior member of a French arms company, which may have provided information relating to Zuma's possible corrupt practices during the awarding of an arms deal.
On 28 December 2007, the Scorpions served Zuma an indictment to stand trial in the High Court on various counts of racketeering, money laundering, corruption and fraud. A conviction and sentence to a term of imprisonment of more than 1 year would have rendered Zuma ineligible for election to the South African Parliament and consequently he would not have been eligible to serve as President of South Africa.
Charges declared unlawful[link]
Zuma appeared in court on 4 August 2008. On 12 September 2008, Pietermaritzburg Judge Chris Nicholson held that Zuma's corruption charges were unlawful on procedural grounds in that the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions ("NDPP") did not give Zuma a chance to make representations before deciding to charge him (this is a requirement of the South Africa Constitution), and directed the state to pay legal costs.[38][39][40] Nicholson also added, however that he believed political interference played a role in the decision to recharge Zuma, although he did not say this was the reason why he held that the charges brought against Zuma were unlawful. Nicholson also stressed that his ruling did not relate to Zuma's guilt or innocence, but was merely on a procedural point. Various media reports had incorrectly reported that the charges against Zuma had been dismissed.[41][42] This was not the case. It remained competent for the NDPP to recharge Zuma, however, only once he had been given an opportunity to make representations to the NDPP in respect of the NDPP's decision to do so. In paragraph 47 of the Judgment, Judge Nicholson wrote,
The obligation to hear representations forms part of the audi alteram partem principle. What is required is that a person who may be adversely affected by a decision be given an opportunity to make representations with a view to procuring a favourable result. The affected person should usually be informed of the gist or the substance of the case, which he is to answer.
The Court held that the NDPP's failure to follow the procedure outlined in Section 179(5)(d) of the Constitution rendered the decision by the NDPP to recharge Zuma unlawful. Judge Nicholson found that there were various inferences to be drawn from the timing of the charges levelled against Zuma (such as the fact that he was charged soon after he was elected president of the ANC) which would warrant a conclusion that there had been a degree of political interference by the Executive arm of government. Judge Nicholson writes in paragraph 210 of his judgement,
The timing of the indictment [of Zuma] by Mr Mpshe on 28 December 2007, after the President suffered a political defeat at Polokwane was most unfortunate. This factor, together with the suspension of Mr Pikoli, who was supposed to be independent and immune from executive interference, persuade me that the most plausible inference is that the baleful political influence was continuing.
In paragraph 220 of the Judgement Judge Nicholson went on to write,
There is a distressing pattern in the behaviour which I have set out above indicative of political interference, pressure or influence. It commences with the "political leadership" given by Minister Maduna to Mr Ngcuka, when he declined to prosecute the applicant, to his communications and meetings with Thint representatives and the other matters to which I have alluded. Given the rules of evidence the court is forced to accept the inference which is the least favourable to the party's cause who had peculiar knowledge of the true facts. It is certainly more egregious than the "hint or suggestion" of political interference referred to in the Yengeni matter. It is a matter of grave concern that this process has taken place in the new South Africa given the ravages it caused under the Apartheid order."[43]
Prior to the hearing there had been a spate of criticism of the South African Judiciary by Zuma supporters,[44] amongst whom were some prominent legal minds, such as Paul Ngobeni[45] In that context, the irony was that this was the third time the South African Judiciary had found in his favour, including Zuma's acquittal of the rape charge brought against him. The NDPP soon announced its intention to appeal the decision.
Charges reinstated on appeal[link]
Thabo Mbeki filed an affidavit and applied to the Constitutional Court to appeal Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson's ruling:
It was improper for the court to make such far-reaching "vexatious, scandalous and prejudicial" findings concerning me, to be judged and condemned on the basis of the findings in the Zuma matter. The interests of justice, in my respectful submission would demand that the matter be rectified. These adverse findings have led to my being recalled by my political party, the ANC – a request I have acceded to as a committed and loyal member of the ANC for the past 52 years. I fear that if not rectified, I might suffer further prejudice.[46]
Tlali Tlali, National Prosecuting Authority spokesman, stated by phone from Pretoria, on 23 September, "We have received the papers. It's under consideration."[47]
The judgement for the appeal was handed down on 12 January 2009 at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. Deputy Judge President Louis Harmse had to rule on two aspects of the appeal. The first aspect was whether or not Zuma had the right to be invited to make representations to the NPA before they decided to reinstate charges of bribery and corruption against him. The second aspect was whether Judge Nicholson was correct in implying political meddling by the then President Thabo Mbeki with regards to the NPA's decision to charge Zuma.
On the question of the NPA's obligation to invite representations when reviewing decisions Harmse DP found that Nicholson's interpretation of section 179 of the Constitution was incorrect in that the NPA did not have such an obligation and thus was free to have charged Zuma as it did. On the question of Nicholson's inferences of political meddling by Mbeki, Harmse DP found that the lower court "overstepped the limits of its authority".
Charges dropped[link]
On 6 April 2009, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped all charges against Zuma, as well as co-accused French arms company Thint, in light of new revelations about serious flaws in the prosecution.[48] The revelations were in the form of intercepted phone calls showing that the head of the Scorpions, Leonard McCarthy, and the former National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, had conspired over the timing of the charges laid against Zuma, presumably to the political advantage of Zuma's political rival, President Thabo Mbeki. The announcement of the withdrawal of charges was made by the acting head of the NPA, Mokothedi Mpshe, who however stressed that the withdrawal was due to abuse which left the legal process "tainted", and did not amount to an acquittal.[49]
Just before the NPA's announcement, however, at least two political parties intimated that they would consider legal action of their own should the charges be dropped.[50] The Democratic Alliance subsequently filed for a judicial review of the NPA's decision, with party leader Helen Zille stating that Mpshe had "not taken a decision based in law, but [instead had] buckled to political pressure".[51] The case was set to be heard on 9 June 2009.[52] Whilst Zuma filed his responses timeously, Mpshe delayed the hearing of the matter, requesting two extensions to file the NPA's response. NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said he could not file papers because there were "outstanding matters" to be resolved. Zille, the Democratic Alliance's party head contended that Zuma's response was fundamentally wrong and "devoid of any constitutional basis".[53] Whilst the legal challenges continued, a survey showed that, as at June 2009, more than half of South Africans believed President Jacob Zuma was doing a good job. The poll, conducted by TNS Research Studies in the last half of June 2009, revealed that Zuma's approval ratings had steadily improved. Around 57% of the people polled said they thought Zuma was a capable leader – this was up 3% from April 2009 when the president was inaugurated. In November 2008, just months after former president Thabo Mbeki was recalled and when Zuma was facing graft charges, only 36% of South Africans were positive about him.[54]
Rape charges[link]
Main article: Jacob Zuma rape trial
In December 2005, Zuma was charged with raping a 31 year old woman at his home in Forest Town, Gauteng. The alleged victim was from a prominent ANC family, the daughter of a deceased struggle comrade of Zuma, and also an AIDS activist who was known to be HIV positive. Zuma denied the charges and claimed that the sex was consensual.
Even before charges were filed, as rumours about rape accusations surfaced later in November, Zuma's political prospects began to appear to take a turn for the worse. Most of his higher-level political supporters could not respond to these new charges the way they had the corruption charges. In a hearing prior to the rape trial, a group of thousands of his supporters gathered near the courthouse, as a smaller gathering of anti-rape groups demonstrated on behalf of the alleged rape victim.[55] As he did throughout the trial, Zuma sang Lethu Mshini Wami (Bring me my machine gun) with the crowd, and ANC Youth League and Communist Party Youth League spokesmen spoke in support of Zuma.[56]
As the rape trial proceeded, reports surfaced that the South African Communist Party was severely divided over how to address the issue of Zuma and the SACP's relationship to him. Many members of the party's youth wing supported Zuma while others in the SACP were sceptical about the value of rallying behind a particular person as opposed to emphasising principles of governance.[57][58][59]
Despite the defection of some former supporters, many Zuma supporters continued to rally outside the courthouse, arousing criticism by anti-rape groups for regular attacks on the integrity and moral standing of Zuma's accuser, insults yelled at a close friend of the accuser, and even stones thrown at a woman that members of the crowd mistook for the accuser.[60] Zuma's defence team introduced evidence relating to the woman's sexual past, and asserted that the sex that took place was consensual. The prosecution asserted that her lack of resistance was due to a state of shock, and that the relationship between the two was like that of a 'father-daughter' pair.[61][62]
The trial also generated political controversy when Zuma, who at the time headed the National AIDS Council, admitted that he had not used a condom when having sex with the woman who now accuses him of rape, despite knowing that she was HIV-positive. He stated in court that he took a shower afterwards to "cut the risk of contracting HIV". This statement was condemned by the judge, health experts, and AIDS activists. The popular South African comic strip, Madam & Eve, and well known political cartoonist, Zapiro, repeatedly lampooned the matter. HIV educators emphasised that this would do nothing to prevent HIV transmission.[63]
On 8 May 2006, the court found Zuma not guilty of rape, agreeing with Zuma that the sexual act in question was consensual. Judge van der Merwe lambasted the accuser for lying to the court, but also censured Zuma for his recklessness.
As his rape trial ended, many South Africans wondered how their political system would recover from the rifts that Zuma's trials have exposed. A Mail and Guardian analysis saw these events as especially troubling:
- The political damage is incalculable, with the ruling African National Congress now an openly divided and faltering movement. This has had a domino effect on the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which have floundered and fractured in the face of damaging charges against a man they ardently backed as the country's next president.
- The trial has been fought against the backdrop of a bitter succession war between Mbeki and Zuma... Mbeki's support in the ANC has crumbled, with the party faithful refusing to accept that he will anoint a leader... But even Zuma's most diehard supporters privately acknowledge that he cannot now be president, regardless of the trial outcome.[64]
Nonetheless, Business Day's Karima Brown told The Guardian after the rape trial's verdict was handed down, "Jacob Zuma is back. This poses a serious dilemma for the ANC leadership. Now Zuma is marching back into Luthuli House [the ANC party HQ]. He will demand to be reinstated as deputy president and the others will find it difficult to block him ... This is a major victory for Zuma's political career."[65]
The prospect of Zuma's return as a contender for the presidency caused concern for international investors. An Independent analyst suggested, "The fear of seeing Zuma and his crowd marching to the Union Buildings wielding machine guns is unnerving mostly to the middle class and businessmen, according to recent surveys."[66]
Continued support after corruption charges[link]
While serving as deputy president, Zuma enjoyed considerable support in parts of the left wing of the ANC, including many in the ANC Youth League, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)[citation needed]. While Zuma faced corruption charges, these organisations remained supportive of him. The influence of the semi-autonomous structures within the party helped Zuma retain support even as he was removed from the deputy presidency of the country.[citation needed]
Zuma's dismissal was interpreted in two ways. Many international observers hailed it as a clear sign that the South African government was dedicated to rooting out corruption within its own ranks. On the other hand, some within South Africa focused on the fact that Zuma and Mbeki represent different constituencies within the African National Congress. Some left-wing supporters claimed that Mbeki and his more market-oriented wing of the party had conspired to oust Zuma to entrench their dominance in the ANC.[67]
Zuma's cause rallied large crowds of supporters at each of his corruption-related court appearances in 2005. At one court date, Zuma supporters burned t-shirts with Mbeki's picture on them, which earned the condemnation of the ANC; Zuma and his allies urged a return to party discipline for subsequent gatherings. At the next court date in November, Zuma supporters numbering in the thousands gathered to support him; he addressed the Durban crowd in Zulu, urging party unity and singing the apartheid-era struggle song Lethu Mshini Wami with lyrics that translate literally as "bring me my machine" but understood to refer to a machine gun. At an October tour for the ANC Youth League elsewhere in the country, Zuma also earned the cheers of large crowds. While his political strength is at least partly based on his relationships within intra-party politics, one analyst argued that his supporters' loyalty could be explained as rooted in a Zulu approach to loyalty and mutual aid.[68]
Because of his support among elements of the party, Zuma remained a powerful political figure, retaining a high position in the ANC even after his dismissal as the country's deputy president. A panel of political analysts convened in November 2005 agreed that if he was to be found innocent of the corruption charges brought against him, it would be hard for any other potential ANC candidate to beat Zuma in the race for the country's presidency in 2009. However, these analysts also questioned whether Zuma was indeed a left-wing candidate of the sort that many of his supporters seem to seek, and noted that the global and national economic constraints that have shaped Mbeki's presidency would be no different in the next presidential term.[69]
Personal life[link]
Wives[link]
Jacob Zuma is a polygamist who has been married six times[70][71] and in 2007 it has been alleged that he had 18 children.[72]
- Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo, whom he met in 1959 and married shortly after his release from prison in 1973.[73] She lives at his home at Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. They have no children.
- Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a cabinet minister since 1999, with whom he has four children, Msholozi (born 1982), Gugulethu (born 1985), Thuli (Nokuthula Nomaqhawe) (born 1987) and Thuthu (Thuthukile Xolile Nomonde) (born 1988). They divorced in June 1998.[74]
- Kate Mantsho, from Mozambique, with whom he had five children, Mxolisi Saady (born 1980), twins Duduzile and Duduzane (born 1984), Phumzile (born 1989) and Vusi (born 1993). She committed suicide on 8 December 2000.[74]
- Nompumelelo Ntuli (MaNtuli), married on 8 January 2008. Ntuli, born 1975, is a resident of KwaMaphumulo near Stanger and has three children with Zuma—Thandisiwe, born 2002, Sinqobile, born February 2006 and Manqoba Kholwani born August 2010.[74]
- Thobeka Stacie Madiba (born Mabhija, her mother's name), married 4 January 2010 with whom he has one child.[75] Zuma paid lobola to her clan in 2007. Their child was born in October 2007. She has another of Zuma's out-of-wedlock children living with her.[75] Mabhija grew up in Umlazi, where she matriculated at Umlazi Commercial High School. She has worked at Standard Bank, Ithala, Cell C and SA Homeloans in La Lucia.[76][77][78]
- Gloria Bongekile Ngema, married on 20 April 2012. The wedding took place in Nkandla and was attended by Zuma's three other wives. Following a traditional ceremony known as umgcagco, the bridal party participated in a traditional Zulu competitive celebratory dance. Ngema has one son, Sinqumo (born 2005), with Zuma.[3]
Fiancées[link]
- Zuma paid 10 cattle as lobola for Swazi Princess Sebentile Dlamini in 2002.[79]
Other children[link]
- He has another son, Edward, with Minah Shongwe, sister of Judge Jeremiah Shongwe, who asked to be recused from Zuma's rape trial because of the liaison.[80]
- He has two daughters, born 18 January 1998 and 19 September 2002, with Pietermaritzburg businesswoman Priscilla Nonkwaleko Mhlongo.[81]
- There are reports of four other children – three from a woman from Johannesburg and one from a woman from Richard's Bay.[75]
2009 "love-child"[link]
In January 2010, The Sunday Times reported that Sonono Khoza, the daughter of Irvin Khoza, gave birth to Zuma's 20th child on 8 October 2009, a daughter called Thandekile Matina Zuma.[82][83]
On 3 February, Zuma responded, confirming that the child was his, and that he had paid inhlawulo, acknowledging paternity. He protested the publishing of the child's name, saying it was illegal exploitation of the child. He denied that the incident had relevance to the government's AIDS programme, and appealed for privacy.[84] On 6 February, Zuma said he "deeply regretted the pain that he caused to his family, the ANC, the alliance and South Africans in general."[85] The office of the presidency's comment was that it was a private matter.[86]
The mother of the child said: "What baby are you talking about? I have two children. They are in school. These are people's lives. Let me be," she told the Sowetan.[87]
Government reaction[link]
The ANC defended Zuma, saying it saw no links between its policies on HIV/AIDS and Mr Zuma's personal life.[88] ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, said "We are Africans and sitting here all of us, Zuma is our father so we are not qualified to talk about that". Malema said the ANCYL would emphasise its HIV programme and "one boyfriend, one girlfriend" stance in an awareness campaign across the country.[89] ANC Women's League deputy president Nosipho Dorothy Ntwanambi said: "it is not right to have an extramarital affair if you have committed to yourself to a marriage. But under the Customary Marriages Act, if the first wife agrees, and if all these issues are discussed with her, we can't do anything."[90] On 5 February, the ANC acknowledged the widespread disapproval by saying that the experience had "taught us many valuable lessons", and they had listened to the people.[91]
COSATU, an ANC alliance partner, passed no judgment but hoped that it will be "a matter on Zuma's conscience"[91] Vavi reiterated Zuma's appeal this week that the president be accorded his "right to privacy" and the child protected from undue publicity.
Opposition reaction[link]
Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance said Zuma contradicted his public message of safe sex to South Africans, among the worst sufferers of AIDS.[92] She said it was wrong to say it was purely a private matter, and elected public officials had to embody the principles and values for which they stand.[93]
The African Christian Democratic Party said Zuma was undermining the government's drive to persuade people to practise safe sex to combat HIV and Aids.[92]
The Congress of the People (COPE) said Zuma could no longer use African cultural practices to justify his "promiscuity".[92]
Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, said Zuma was asking people "to do as I say and not as I do".[94]
Zuma and Zimbabwe[link]
The African National Congress, of which Zuma is now president, historically has considered the ZANU-PF party a natural ally, born out of mutual struggle against white oppression. Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has never publicly criticised Mugabe's policies – preferring "quiet diplomacy" rather than "megaphone diplomacy", his term for the harsh Western condemnations of Mugabe's leadership.[95][96] However, the left of the party and extra-party organisations such as the ANC Youth League, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have advocated for a tougher stance on Zimbabwe.[97][98] It is from these organisations that Zuma derives his support.
Zuma's stance on Zimbabwe has been mixed. In a 2006 interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, he expressed more sympathetic sentiments towards Mugabe, saying that "Europeans often ignore the fact that Mugabe is very popular among Africans. In their eyes, he has given blacks their country back after centuries of colonialism." He continued: "The people love him, so how can we condemn him? Many in Africa believe that there is a racist aspect to European and American criticism of Mugabe. Millions of blacks died in Angola, the Republic of Congo and Rwanda. A few whites lost their lives in Zimbabwe, unfortunately, and already the West is bent out of shape."[99]
However, by December 2007, he was more forthright in criticising Zimbabwe's leadership, increasingly defining his own policy in contrast to that of Mbeki:
It is even more tragic that other world leaders who witness repression pretend it is not happening, or is exaggerated. When history eventually deals with the dictators, those who stood by and watched should also bear the consequences. A shameful quality of the modern world is to turn away from injustice and ignore the hardships of others.[100]
Zuma criticised Mbeki, accusing him of being lenient on dictators.[101]
Following the disputed elections in Zimbabwe on 29 March 2008, he became critical of the election process in Zimbabwe[102] referring to delays in the outcome as "suspicious".[103] In a press conference on 24 June, he asserted: "We cannot agree with ZANU-PF. We cannot agree with them on values. We fought for the right of people to vote, we fought for democracy."[104] At an ANC dinner in July, he rebuked Mugabe for refusing to step down.[105]
Zuma vs the media[link]
As a backlash to the frenzied media following of his rape trial, Zuma filed a series of defamation lawsuits on 30 June 2006 against various South African media outlets for publishing content that allegedly besmirched his public profile, in the form of cartoons, commentary, photos and parody pieces. The media outlets that came under fire were The Star for R 20 million, Rapport for R 10 million, Highveld Stereo for R 6 million, The Citizen for R 5 million, Sunday Sun for R 5 million, Sunday Independent for R 5 million, and Sunday World for R 5 million.
Zuma appointed Former Conservative Party MP advocate Jurg Prinsloo, as well as Wycliffe Mothuloe to tackle his so-called "crucifixion by the media". Zuma said:[106]
For a period of five years my person has been subjected to all types of allegations and innuendo, paraded through the media and other corridors of influence without these allegations having being [sic] tested. I have thereby been denied my constitutional right to reply and defend myself.
The response from the challenged media was highly critical, and written protests to various media outlets accused Zuma of challenging their freedom of speech.
Zuma was parodied further in an advertisement for Pronto Condoms, using his famous shower statement.[107]
In 2012, Zuma featured in a satirical painting by Cape Town-based artist Brett Murray, who depicted him in his painting The Spear, in a pose similar to Lenin, but with his genitals exposed. The ANC responded by threatening court action against the gallery showing the painting, and further demanding that the image should be removed from online sources. The subsequent aggressive sharing of the image through social networks can be considered a form of the Streisand Effect.[108][109] On 22 May 2012, the painting was vandalized while it was hanging in an art gallery in Johannesburg. The face and genitals of Zuma were painted over.[110]
Political positions[link]
Remarks on same-sex marriage[link]
Zuma was criticised by gay and lesbian groups after he criticised same-sex marriage at a Heritage Day celebration on 24 September 2006 in Stanger, saying that same-sex marriage was "a disgrace to the nation and to God": "When I was growing up, an ungqingili (a homosexual) would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out."[111]
The Joint Working Group (an LGBT advocacy coalition) questioned Zuma's leadership skills and stated that a "true leader leads with intellect and wisdom – not popularity or favour. How can a narrow-minded person like this be expected to lead our nation?"[112] Zuma subsequently apologised to those who were offended by the statement,[113] stating, "I also respect, acknowledge and applaud the sterling contribution of many gay and lesbian compatriots in the struggle that brought about our freedom, and the role they continue to play in the building of a successful non-racial, non-discriminatory South Africa."
Remarks on Western Sahara[link]
Habib Defouad, Morocco's ambassador to South Africa, criticised Zuma's support for the independence of Western Sahara in June 2007.[114] The ANC has since the 1970s supported the Sahrawi independence movement Front Polisario, under both Mandela and Mbeki. In 2004 South Africa recognised the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, or SADR, as a legitimate government-in-exile.
Remarks on teenage pregnancy[link]
Zuma's solution to pregnancy in South African teenagers is to confiscate their babies and have the mothers taken to colleges and "forced" to obtain degrees.[115][116]
Remarks on the Second Coming[link]
Zuma also drew censure from religious and secular groups alike when he declared that the ANC would rule South Africa until the return of Jesus Christ, and that its continued governance was just what God wanted:
God expects us to rule this country because we are the only organisation which was blessed by pastors when it was formed. It is even blessed in Heaven. That is why we will rule until Jesus comes back. We should not allow anyone to govern our city when we are ruling the country.[117][118]
Zuma later defended his remarks by describing them as a "political expression": "Talking about Jesus is not abusing his name; it's actually saying historically, 'This is what the ANC is all about.' It's just a political expression that we are strong and will be strong for a long time. I want to apologise if this reality sits uncomfortably with others."[119] He added that he had been baptised and knew Jesus: "I fear God [.... I]t's not because I'm despising God, not at all."[119]
Remarks on Afrikaners[link]
Not long before the NPA dropped its corruption case against him, Zuma met with controversy once again. Speaking at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, whose Afrikaans community he was addressing (not, he claimed, for electioneering purposes), Zuma said,
Of all the white groups that are in South Africa, it is only the Afrikaners that are truly South Africans in the true sense of the word.
Up to this day, they don't carry two passports; they carry one. They are here to stay.[119]
Addressing the matter of apartheid, Zuma employed wry humour in praising ironically the "innovative" Afrikaner approach to protests, which couched its crimes in terms like "separate development". He also confronted the matter of police corruption, declaring that "you cannot put the trust of the country to a person who is actually a criminal."[119]
Controversy[link]
Shaik's parole[link]
In March 2009, Schabir Shaik was released from prison just 28 months into his fifteen-year sentence. He had been granted medical parole, a leniency meant only for the terminally ill, despite the opinion of his doctors that he was fighting fit and free for hospital discharge.
Media speculation had it that Zuma may have played a role in this eventuality, but the ANC President's spokesman firmly denied it. Only days before, however, he had publicly stated that, as President of South Africa, he would personally ensure Shaik's release.[120]
Ngcobo's nomination as Chief Justice[link]
On 6 August 2009, Zuma nominated Sandile Ngcobo as Chief Justice of South Africa,[121] drawing criticism from four opposition groups.[122] On 1 October 2009, the appointment was confirmed. The Democratic Alliance, the Congress of the People, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Independent Democrats accused Zuma of failing to consult properly ahead of his nomination of Ngcobo. The opposition urged Zuma to restart the process from scratch saying they would prefer current Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke for the post.[123]
Failure to disclose assets after taking office as President of South Africa[link]
Zuma, as President of South Africa, was required to declare his financial interests within 60 days of taking office. But, as of March 2010, he had failed to do so, nine months after taking office. This led to calls for him to do so by opposition parties, and ANC alliance partner COSATU.[124] ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu stated that Zuma constituted a "special case", because of his "large family" making it difficult to declare his assets. The ANC later distanced itself from this statement.[125] Zuma disclosed his interests shortly after.[126]
Alleged abuses by bodyguards[link]
In 2010, Zuma's bodyguards were implicated in multiple incidents involving members of the public and journalists. In February, a Cape Town student, Chumani Maxwele was detained by police after allegedly showing Zuma's motorcade a "rude gesture". Maxwele, an active ANC member,[127] was released after 24 hours, having provided a written apology to police, which he later claimed was coerced. He also claimed that his home had been raided by plain clothes policemen, and that he had been forced into the vehicle at gunpoint. Maxwele later instituted legal action against the police,[128] and a complaint was filed on his behalf to the Human Rights Commission.[129] The incident led to a heated dispute when it was discussed in Parliament.[130]
In March, Journalist Tshepo Lesole was forced to delete pictures of Zuma's convoy from his camera by police, and two photographers were detained by police when photographing Zuma's Johannesburg home.[131][citation needed] Sky News reporter Emma Hurd claimed she had been pushed, manhandled and "groped" by Zuma's bodyguards in 2009.[132]
"Shoot the Boer" song[link]
On January 8th, 2012, after giving a speech at the ANC Centennial 2012 celebrations in Bloemfontein, South Africa, president Jacob Zuma sang the lyrics "shoot the Boer."[133][134] This is the same song that got Julius Malema convicted of hate speech.[135][136]
See also[link]
Filmography[link]
- The Passion of Jacob Zuma, French documentary by Jean-Baptiste Dusséaux and Matthieu Niango (France Ô, 2009)
- Motherland (film), 2009 Documentary[137] directed by Owen Alik Shahadah
References[link]
- ^ Berger, Sebastien (5 January 2009). "ANC's Jacob Zuma to marry for fifth time". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/4127176/ANCs-Jacob-Zuma-to-marry-for-fifth-time.html. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ "SA's Zuma marries his third wife". BBC News. 4 January 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8434865.stm. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ a b "South Africa's polygamous president marries fourth wife". BNO News. 20 April 2012. http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=577. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Independent Online. "News – Politics: Church lauds Zuma as honorary pastor". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20070506095935384C518838. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Zuma sworn in as SA's fourth democratic President". SABC. 9 May 2009. http://196.35.74.238/portal/site/SABCNews/menuitem.5c4f8fe7ee929f602ea12ea1674daeb9/?vgnextoid=82f7f279f6421210VgnVCM10000077d4ea9bRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&channelPath=home. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
- ^ a b c "Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma". The Presidency. http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?doc=people/zumaj.html. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
- ^ Mbuyazi, Nondumiso (13 September 2008). "JZ receives 'death threat'". The Star: p. 4. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080913085548154C821827. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ Gordin, Jeremy (31 August 2008). "So what are Msholozi's options?". Sunday Tribune. http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4586569. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ Lander, Alice (19 December 2007). "Durban basks in Zuma's ANC victory". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7151935.stm. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ^ a b c Beresford, David (22 February 2009). "Zuma's missing years come to light". The Times (UK). http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=944076.
- ^ Gevisser, Mark (2007). Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred.
- ^ "SA's Mbeki says he will step down". London: BBC news. 20 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/africa/7626646.stm. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ Gordin, J: Zuma, A Biography, page 1. Jonathan Ball, 2008.
- ^ Gordin, J: Zuma, A Biography, page 4. Jonathan Ball, 2008.
- ^ "The Jacob Zuma Page". ANC. http://www.anc.org.za/list_by.php?by=Jacob%20Zuma. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=420&lang=en
- ^ Smith, David (20 April 2009). "Jacob Zuma the chameleon brings South Africans joy and fear". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/20/zuma-south-africa-politics.
- ^ "Fifa gives Zuma his ref's certificate". SouthAfrica.info. 30 June 2009. http://www.southafrica.info/2010/zuma-referee.htm. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ Trewhela, Paul (15 February 2009). "Jacob Zuma in exile: three unexplored issues". http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=117713&sn=Detail.
- ^ "Tutsis boycott Burundi talks". BBC. 27 July 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3929519.stm.
- ^ "How a lone cameraman 'dented' SABC's credibility". Mail & Guardian. 19 August 2005. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=248529&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ ANC rank-and-file vote for change IOL
- ^ Zuma finds favour among his ANC comrades IOL
- ^ Zuma says he is ready to govern IOL
- ^ "New charges for S Africa's Zuma". BBC News. 28 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7163332.stm.
- ^ afriquenligne.fr, South Africa: Mbeki's resignation effective Thursday[dead link]
- ^ "news.bbc.co.uk, Motlanthe: South Africa's safe hands". BBC News. 25 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7629239.stm. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ a b c McGreal, Chris (15 December 2007). "South Africa in turmoil as Mbeki heads for defeat". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2227953,00.html.
- ^ Wines, Michael (17 December 2007). "Leadership Battle Grips South Africa's Dominant Party". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/africa/17anc.html.
- ^ "Ngcuka accused of 'derailing justice'". 24 August 2003. http://news.iafrica.com/specialreport/armsdeal_focus/265106.htm. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "Encrypted Fax". http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/images/encrypted_fax.jpg. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
- ^ Fowler, Andrew (7 April 2009). "Jacob Zuma". ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2538726.htm.
- ^ "Shaik sentenced to 15 years in prison". SABC news. 6 August 2005. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071222075538/http://www.sabcnews.com/features/schabir_shaik_trial/. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
- ^ Berger, Guy (22 November 2006). "Suckers for the sound bite". Mail & Guardian Online. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=290776&area=/insight/insight__columnists/. Retrieved 22 November 2006.
- ^ "Shaik Judgment in full (PDF)". http://www.ipocafrica.org/cases/armsdeal/shaik/shaikjudgementjun05.pdf.
- ^ "Shaik Judgment in full (HTML)". http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Shaik_trial/0,,2-7-1708_1718857,00.html.
- ^ a b "Zuma corruption trial struck off the roll". SABC news. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061026083725/http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/crime1justice/0,2172,135153,00.html. Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ "reuters.com, S. African judge dismisses Zuma corruption case". Africa.reuters.com. 9 February 2009. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLC635288.html. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "news.bbc.co.uk, SA court rejects Zuma graft case". BBC News. 12 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7612233.stm. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ James Orr and agencies (12 September 2008). "South African court clears way for Zuma presidential run". Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/12/southafrica. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ . Reuters. http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLC635288.html.
- ^ Burgis, Tom (12 September 2008). "Court clears Zuma to run for president". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9dcc7116-80c7-11dd-82dd-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1.
- ^ "Full Zuma judgment". News24. 13 September 2008. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2392602,00.html.
- ^ Johns, Lynnette (6 September 2008). "'Judges think they're descendants of God'". http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20080906094520886C338224.
- ^ "STATE-Versus-JACOB GEDLEYIHLEKISA ZUMA – A LITIGATION COOKBOOK". http://www.friendsofjz.co.za/documents/Zuma%20Trial%20Cookbook.pdf.
- ^ (AFP) – 23 Sep 2008 (23 September 2008). "afp.google.com, Mbeki challenges court ruling to defend reputation". Google. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jwg5P3sBxc05Xyc8vZeZ_g9yzAcA. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Lourens, Carli (23 September 2008). "bloomberg.com, South Africa's Mbeki Plans to Challenge 'Improper' Court Ruling". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=aro62XMHHN44&refer=africa. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Gordin, Jeremy. "Jacob Zuma: Jeremy Gordin analysis." Dispatch Now 24/7 8 April 2009
- ^ "Mpshe: Zuma decision not an acquittal". Mail & Guardian. 6 April 2009. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-04-06-mpshe-zuma-decision-not-an-acquittal.
- ^ Du Plessis, Carien (2 April 2009). "Is NPA entitled to drop Zuma charges?". Cape Times. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20090402055425863C195372.
- ^ "DA files for judicial review". http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=93359,1,22.
- ^ "The Spy Who Saved Zuma". http://elections.mg.co.za/story/2009-04-09-the-spy-who-saved-zuma.
- ^ Independent Online. "News – Politics: Mpshe showing contempt for law: Zille". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=nw20090930151035182C289179. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Mandy Wiener (19 August 2009). "Eyewitness News: Zuma doing good job, new poll reveals". Ewn.co.za. http://www.ewn.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=20017. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Zuma rape case judge stands down". BBC News. 13 February 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4707464.stm. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Zuma judge recuses himself from trial". Mail & Guardian. 13 February 2006. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=264095&area=/zuma_report/zuma_news/. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "The trouble with JZ". Mail & Guardian. 20 December 2007. http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?articleid=257884&area=%2finsight%2finsight__comment_and_analysis%2f. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Young communists plan move against Mazibuko Jara". Mail & Guardian. 20 December 2007. http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?articleid=257688&area=%2finsight%2finsight__national%2f. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "SACP divided on Zuma". Mail & Guardian. 20 December 2007. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=269701&area=/insight/insight__national/. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Accuser insulted as Zuma hailed at court". IOL. 14 February 2006. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060214102144364C522654. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Zuma's rape accuser questioned". BBC News. 6 March 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4781440.stm. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "S. African denies rape allegation at trial". The Boston Globe. 3 April 2006. http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2006/04/03/s_african_denies_rape_allegation_at_trial/. Retrieved 20 December 2007. [dead link]
- ^ "SA's Zuma showered to avoid HIV". BBC Online. 5 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4879822.stm. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "23 days that shook our world". Mail & Guardian. 28 April 2006. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=270344&area=/zuma_report/zuma_insight/. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ Meldrum, Andrew (9 May 2006). "Acquitted Zuma ready to fight for presidency". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafrica/story/0,,1770514,00.html. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ "ANC moves to allay succession paranoia". IOL. 1 June 2006. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_South%20Africa&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060601050604985C300016. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ Pearce, Justin (10 October 2005). "Analysis: SA's Zuma in the dock". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4328360.stm. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Riding on Zulu empathy". Mail & Guardian. 18 November 2005. http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?articleid=256829&area=%2finsight%2finsight__national%2f. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ "Acquitted Zuma will be 'unbeatable'". Mail & Guardian. 3 November 2005. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2005-11-03-acquitted-zuma-will-be-unbeatable. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ Zuma charmed wives and nation The Australian
- ^ Zuma to wed on Saturday M&G
- ^ "New storm about Zuma's 'virility'". IOL. 17 July 2007. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070717042424289C491400. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ a b c Molele, Charles (15 December 2007). "So who will the Zuma First Lady be?". The Times (UK). http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article88543.ece/SO-WHO-WILL-THE-ZUMA-FIRST-LADY-BE-.
- ^ a b c All the president's children M&G
- ^ "Zuma's ladies". The Post. 23 December 2007. http://www.thepost.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=215&fArticleId=vn20071223090244769C301201.
- ^ Khumalo, Sipho (9 January 2009). "Zuma's bride-to-be 'a glamorous beauty'". IOL. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20090109065855482C375766.
- ^ South Africa President Jacob Zuma to marry third wife BBC
- ^ Zuma's 'fiancée' hospitalised[dead link]
- ^ Zuma gets married in KwaZulu-Natal M&G
- ^ Now Zuma's KZN love kids revealed IOL
- ^ Govender, Prega (31 January 2010). "Zuma fathers baby with Irvin Khoza's daughter". The Sunday Times (South Africa). http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article284367.ece. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ Zuma and Khoza 'are married' IOL
- ^ Zuma confirms love-child IOL
- ^ Zuma 'deeply regrets' love-child pain M&G
- ^ Zuma love-child: No comment News24
- ^ Khoza's daughter speaks out IOL
- ^ ANC defends Jacob Zuma over 'love-child' claims BBC
- ^ Love-child talk 'disrespectful' News24
- ^ SA has 'right to know about love-child' News24
- ^ a b JZ broke sex pact IOL
- ^ a b c Zuma flouts safe sex campaign, says COPE IOL
- ^ Zuma should apologise, says Zille M&G
- ^ Zuma sex report 'a PR nightmare' IOL
- ^ "Mbeki defends 'quiet diplomacy' on Zim". Financial Gazette. 21 November 2003.
- ^ Lodge, Tom (27 October 2004). "Quiet diplomacy in Zimbabwe: a case study of South Africa in Africa" (PDF). Paper delivered to the African Studies Centre, Leiden: p. 7. http://wiserweb.wits.ac.za/PDF%20Files/wirs%20-%20lodge.pdf. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "Cosatu demand democracy in Zimbabwe, International Labor Rights Forum". Laborrights.org. http://www.laborrights.org/end-violence-against-trade-unions/zimbabwe/1597. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "The West Is Bent out of Shape". Der Spiegel. 20 December 2006. http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,455681,00.html. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "Zuma blasts Mbeki's Zimbabwe quiet diplomacy". Zimbabwe Metro. 16 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071217061621/http://zimbabwemetro.com/2007/12/16/zuma-blasts-mbeki-s-zimbabwe-quiet-diplomacy/. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
- ^ Wines, Michael (17 December 2007). "Leadership Battle Grips South Africa's Dominant Party". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/africa/17anc.html.
- ^ "Zuma condemns Zimbabwe poll delay". BBC Online. 9 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7337986.stm. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "ZIMBABWE: Mugabe is losing the region's support". IRIN (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). 11 April 2008. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=77725. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "Zuma: Zimbabwe is out of control". Mail & Guardian Online. 24 June 2008. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-06-24-zuma-zimbabwe-is-out-of-control. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "Mugabe has overstayed welcome, Zuma". The Zimbabwe Times. 9 July 2008. http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=827. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust". Friendsofjz.co.za. 29 June 2005. http://www.friendsofjz.co.za/. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Flashplayer ad for Pronto Condoms". http://www.prontocondoms.co.za/jacob.htm.
- ^ Stephen, Grootes (19 May 2012). "Zuma portrait saga goes to court". Eyewitness News. http://www.ewn.co.za/en/2012/05/19/Zuma%20portrait%20saga%20goes%20to%20court.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Just Hanging Out". 6000 Miles from Civilization. http://6000.co.za/just-hanging-out/. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Jacob Zuma painting vandalised in South Africa gallery". BBC News. 22 May 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18159204. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ Asthana, Anushka (23 December 2007). "PROFILE: Jacob Zuma". The Sunday Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3087478.ece. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "Zuma earns wrath of gays and lesbians". Mail & Guardian. 26 September 2006. http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=285053. Retrieved 26 September 2006.
- ^ "Zuma Apologises". Gay South Africa Lifestyle. 28 September 2006. http://www.mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=546. Retrieved 2 October 2006.
- ^ South Africa: Moroccan Envoy Scathing On Zuma's Sahara Remarks, But Gets No Apology, 26 June 2007. AllAfrica.
- ^ Quoted in "Jacob Zuma, boarding schools, and our teachers", Minor Matters at The Times, 24 November 2008.
- ^ "Clueless who to vote for? Do a party policy match", IOL, 8 April 2009.
- ^ Democratic Alliance: "Jacob Zuma, Jesus, and Robert Mugabe" (Politicsweb, 30 June 2008).
- ^ Ecumenical News International: "South African row over likening of ANC leader to Jesus" (7 December 2008).
- ^ a b c d Jenni O'Grady and Natasha Marrian (3 April 2009). "Zuma: 'It's only the Afrikaners who are truly South African'". Mail & Guardian. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-04-03-zuma-only-the-afrikaners-who-are-truly-south-africans.
- ^ Bearak, Barry. "Waiting to Helm South Africa: President or Convict? Or Both?" The New York Times. 10 March 2009. . Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ "Zuma looks to Ngcobo as new chief justice". Mail & Guardian. 6 August 2009. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-08-06-zuma-looks-to-ngcobo-as-new-chief-justice. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ "Zuma abused his power: opposition". The Times. 10 August 2009. http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1047598. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- ^ "Zuma to name new Chief Justice". Times LIVE. 1 October 2009. http://www.timeslive.co.za/news/article134121.ece. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "South Africa opposition call for probe into Jacob Zuma". BBC News. 8 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8555697.stm. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "ANC distances itself from spokesman's statement on Zuma". Times LIVE. 9 March 2010. http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article346579.ece. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Independent Online. "News – Front Page: Zuma under fire after late declaration". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=nw20100310222438141C199432. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Independent Online. "News – Politics: PIC: Zuma cops lock up jogger (Page 1 of 2)". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20100217062211616C809058&click_id=6&set_id=1. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Zuma jogger to sue police". Times LIVE. http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article327217.ece. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Zuma jogger case to go to HRC". Times LIVE. http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article351461.ece. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Independent Online. "News – Crime & Courts: MPs blast arrest of jogger". Iol.co.za. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20100304043526705C821173. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ "Business Report – Home – Mail & Guardian 'disturbed' by Zuma house incident". Busrep.co.za. 18 March 2010. http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=552&fArticleId=5396052. Retrieved 15 September 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Zuma's bodyguards groped me: reporter". Times LIVE. 19 March 2010. http://www.timeslive.co.za/incoming/article363660.ece. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ http://www.iol.co.za/news/special-features/the-zuma-era/complaint-laid-against-zuma-1.1242416
- ^ http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/383404804a48659d9b959f8f72c0ef2b/Rightwing-movement-to-lay-hate-speech-charge-against-Zuma-20120224
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8567727.stm
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/15/anc-julius-malema-guilty-hate-speech
- ^ "Motherland Jacob Zuma at IMDB". Themotherland.info. http://www.themotherland.info. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
Further reading[link]
- Russell, Alec (2009). After Mandela: the Battle for the Soul of South Africa. London: Hutchinson. ISBN 978-0-09-192601-4.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jacob Zuma |
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jacob Zuma |
- Profile at the African National Congress
- Zuma: Road to the presidency
- Jacob Zuma at Who's Who Southern Africa
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Jacob Zuma at the Internet Movie Database
- Works by or about Jacob Zuma in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Jacob Zuma collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Jacob Zuma at the Notable Names Database
- Full text of the judgement against Schabir Shaik, Zuma's financial advisor
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thabo Mbeki |
Deputy President of South Africa 1999–2005 |
Succeeded by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka |
| Preceded by Kgalema Motlanthe |
President of South Africa 2009–present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Thabo Mbeki |
President of the African National Congress 2007–present |
Incumbent |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Zuma, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Current African National Congress president. |
| Date of birth | 12 April 1942 |
| Place of birth | Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Jacob_Zuma
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://cs.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://id.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://es.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://ru.wn.com/Зума, Джейкоб
http://pl.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://fr.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://de.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://hi.wn.com/जेकब ज़ूमा
http://pt.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
http://nl.wn.com/Jacob Zuma
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is about the patriarch. For other uses, see Jacob (disambiguation).
| Jacob | |
|---|---|
 Jacob wrestling with an angel, as imagined in a Bible illustration |
|
| Prophet, Third Hebrew Patriarch, Seer, Israel, Father of the Tribes, Holy Forefather, 'Possessor of Power and Vision' | |
| Honored in | Judaism Christianity Islam |
| Major shrine | Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron |
| Influences | His forefathers Abraham and Isaac |
| Influenced | Twelve Tribes of Israel as well as many Jews, Christians and Muslims |
Jacob ( /ˈdʒeɪkəb/; Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב Standard Yaʿakov, Tiberian Yaʿăqōḇ (help·info); Septuagint Greek: Ἰακώβ Iakōb; Arabic: يَعْقُوب Yaʿqūb; "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Yisraʾel, Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl; Septuagint Greek: Ἰσραήλ Israēl; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيل Isrāʾīl; "persevere with God"[1]), as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.
In the Hebrew Bible, he is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and of Bethuel, and the younger twin brother of Esau. Jacob had twelve sons and at least one daughter, by his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and by their female slaves Bilhah and Zilpah. The children named in Genesis were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, daughter Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin.[2][3]
Before the birth of Benjamin, Jacob is renamed "Israel" by an angel (Genesis 32:28-29 and 35:10). The name "Israel" can be translated as "God contended",[4] but other meanings have also been suggested. Some commentators say the name comes from the verb śœarar ("to rule, be strong, have authority over"), thereby making the name mean "God rules" or "God judges".[5] Other possible meanings include "the prince of God" (from the King James Version) or "El fights/struggles".[6]
As a result of a severe drought in Canaan, Jacob moved to Egypt at the time when his son Joseph was viceroy. Jacob died there 17 years later, and Joseph carried Jacob's remains to the land of Canaan, where he gave them stately burial in the same Cave of Machpelah as were buried Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob's wife Leah (Genesis 49:29-50:14).
Contents |
Historicity[link]
Most biblical scholars and historians of ancient Israel today view the patriarchical narratives, including the life of Jacob, as late (6th and 5th centuries BCE) literary compositions that have ideological and theological purposes but are unreliable for historical reconstruction of the presettlement period of Israel’s past.[7][8]
Jacob in Genesis[link]
The biblical account of the life of Jacob is found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 25-50.
Jacob and Esau's birth[link]
Jacob and his twin brother, Esau, were born to Isaac and Rebekah after 20 years of marriage, when Isaac was 60 (Genesis 25:20, 25:26). Rebekah was uncomfortable during her double pregnancy and went to inquire of God why she was suffering. She received the prophecy that the twins were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives, even after they became two separate nations. The prophecy also said that "the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger;" (Genesis 25:25 KJV)
When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, the first, Esau, to come out red all over like a hairy garment, with his heel grasped by the hand of the second, Jacob, to come out. According to Genesis 25:25, Isaac and Rebekah named the first עשו, Esau (`Esav or `Esaw, meaning "hairy" or "rough", from Hebrew: עשה, `asah, "do" or "make";[9] or "completely developed", from Hebrew: עשוי, `assui[citation needed]). The second is named יעקב, Jacob (Ya`aqob or Ya`aqov, meaning "heel-catcher", "supplanter", "leg-puller", "he who follows upon the heels of one", from Hebrew: עקב, `aqab or `aqav, "seize by the heel", "circumvent", "restrain", a wordplay upon Hebrew: עקבה, `iqqebah or `iqqbah, "heel").[10]
The boys displayed very different natures as they matured. "...and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27). Moreover, the attitudes of their parents toward them also differed: "And Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob." (Genesis 25:28)
Sale of the birthright[link]
Main article: Jacob and Esau
The Hebrew Bible, in (Genesis 25:29-34), tells the account of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob. This passage states that Esau, returning famished from the fields, begged Jacob to give him some of the stew that Jacob had just made. (Esau referred to the dish as, "that same red pottage", giving rise to his nickname, Hebrew: אדום (`Edom, meaning "Red").) Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright, and Esau agreed.
Jacob's deception of Isaac[link]
As Isaac aged, he became blind, and was uncertain when he would die, so he decided to bestow Esau's birthright upon him. He requested that Esau go out to the fields with his weapons (quiver and bow) to kill some venison. Isaac went on to request that Esau make "savory meat" for him out of the venison, according to the way he enjoyed it the most, so that he could eat it and bless Esau.
Rebekah overheard this conversation. It is suggested that she realized prophetically that Isaac's blessings would go to Jacob, since she was told before the twins' birth that the older son would serve the younger.[11] She quickly ordered Jacob to bring her two kid goats from their flock, so that he could take Esau's place in serving Isaac and receiving his blessing. Jacob protested that his father would recognize their deception, since Esau was hairy and he himself was smooth-skinned. He feared his father would curse him as soon as he felt him, but Rebekah offered to take the curse herself, then insisted that Jacob obey her. Jacob did as his mother instructed, and when he returned with the kids, Rebekah made the savory meat that Isaac loved. Before she sent Jacob to his father, she dressed him in Esau's garments and laid goatskins on his arms and neck to simulate hairy skin.
Disguised as Esau, Jacob entered Isaac's room. Surprised that Esau was supposedly back so soon, Isaac asked how it could be that the hunt went so quickly. Jacob responded, "Because the LORD your God brought it to me." Rashi, on Genesis 27:21 says Isaac's suspicions were aroused even more, because Esau never used the personal name of God. Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau's hairy skin. Confused, Isaac exclaimed, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau!" Genesis 27:22. Still trying to get at the truth, Isaac asked him directly, "Art thou my very son Esau?" and Jacob answered simply, "I am." Isaac proceeded to eat the food and to drink the wine that Jacob gave him, and then told him to come close and kiss him. As Jacob kissed his father, Isaac smelled the clothes which belonged to Esau, and finally accepted that the person in front of him was Esau. Isaac then blessed Jacob with the blessing that was meant for Esau. Genesis 27:28-29 states Isaac's blessing: "Therefore God give thee of the dew of heavens, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."
Jacob had scarcely left the room when Esau returned from the hunt to prepare his game and receive the blessing. The realization that he had been deceived shocked Isaac, yet he acknowledged that Jacob had received the blessings by adding, "Indeed, he will be [or remain] blessed!" (27:33).
Esau was heartbroken by the deception, and begged for his own blessing. Having made Jacob a ruler over his brothers, Isaac could only promise, "By your sword you shall live, but your brother you shall serve; yet it shall be that when you are aggrieved, you may cast off his yoke from upon your neck" (27:39-40).
Although Esau sold Jacob his own birthright, which was his blessing, for "red pottage", Esau still hated Jacob for eventually receiving his blessing that his father Isaac unknowingly given to him. (Genesis 27:41 KJV) He vowed to himself to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac died. When Rebekah heard about his murderous intentions,[12] she ordered Jacob to travel to her brother Laban's house in Haran, until Esau's anger subsided. She convinced Isaac to send Jacob away by telling him that she despaired of him marrying a local girl from the idol-worshipping families of Canaan (as Esau had done). After Isaac sent Jacob away to find a wife, Esau realized his own Canaanite wives were evil in his father's eyes, and he took a daughter of Isaac's half-brother Ishmael as another wife.
Jacob's ladder[link]
Main article: Jacob's Ladder
File:JacobsLaddertoHeaven.jpg
Jacob's Ladder, early 1900's Bible illustration
Nearby Luz en route to Haran, Jacob experienced a vision of a ladder or staircase reaching into heaven with angels going up and down it, commonly referred to as "Jacob's ladder". From the top of the ladder he heard the voice of God, who repeated many of the blessings upon him.
According to Rashi, this ladder signified the exiles that the Jewish people would suffer before the coming of the Jewish Messiah: the angels that represented the exiles of Babylonia, Persia, and Greece each climbed up a certain number of steps, paralleling the years of the exile, before they "fell down"; but the angel representing the last exile, that of Rome or Edom, kept climbing higher and higher into the clouds. Jacob feared that his children would never be free of Esau's domination, but God assured him that at the End of Days, Edom too would come falling down.
Jacob awakened, and continued on his way to Haran in the morning, naming the place "Bethel", "God's house".
Jacob's marriages[link]
Arriving in Haran, Jacob saw a well where the shepherds were gathering their flocks to water them, and met Laban's younger daughter Rachel, Jacob's first cousin; she was working as a shepherdess. He loved her immediately, and after spending a month with his relatives, asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban. Laban agreed to the arrangement. These seven years seemed to Jacob "but a few days, for the love he had for her"; but when they were complete and he asked for his wife, Laban deceived Jacob by switching Rachel's older sister, Leah, as the veiled bride.
In the morning, when the truth became known, Laban justified himself, saying that in his country it was unheard of to give the younger daughter before the older. However, he agreed to give Rachel in marriage as well if Jacob would work another seven years for her. After the week of wedding celebrations with Leah, Jacob married Rachel, and he continued to work for Laban for another seven years.
Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and Leah felt hated. God opened Leah's womb and she gave birth to four sons rapidly: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel, however, remained barren. Following the example of Sarah, who gave her handmaid to Abraham after years of infertility, Rachel gave Jacob her handmaid, Bilhah, in marriage, so that Rachel could raise children through her. Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali. Seeing that she had left off childbearing temporarily, Leah then gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob in marriage so that Leah could raise more children through her. Zilpah gave birth to Gad and Asher. (According to The Testaments of the Patriarchs, Bilhah and Zilpah were daughters of Rotheus and Euna, servants of Laban.)[citation needed] Afterwards, Leah became fertile again and gave birth to Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, Jacob's first and only daughter. God remembered Rachel, who gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin. If pregnancies of different marriages overlapped, the twelve births could have occurred within seven years (the first eleven births occur within six years - Genesis 31:38).
After Joseph was born, Jacob decided to return home to his parents. Laban was reluctant to release him, as God had blessed his flock on account of Jacob. Laban asked what he could pay Jacob, and Jacob proposed that all the spotted, speckled, and brown goats and sheep of Laban's flock, at any given moment, would be his wages. Jacob placed peeled rods of poplar, hazel, and chestnut within the flocks' watering holes or troughs, an action he later attributes to a dream. The text suggests that Jacob performed breeding experiments over the years to make his own flocks both more abundant and stronger than Laban's, that Laban responded by repeatedly reinterpreting the terms of Jacob's wages, and that the breeding favored Jacob regardless of Laban's pronouncements. Thus Jacob's herds increased and he became very wealthy.
As time passed, Laban's sons noticed that Jacob was taking the better part of their flocks, and Laban's friendly attitude towards Jacob began to change. God told Jacob that he should leave, and he and his wives and children did so without informing Laban. Before they left, Rachel stole the teraphim, considered to be household idols, from Laban's house.
In a rage, Laban pursued Jacob for seven days. The night before he caught up to him, God appeared to Laban in a dream and warned him not to say anything good or bad to Jacob. When the two met, Laban played the part of the injured father-in-law and also demanded his teraphim back. Knowing nothing about Rachel's theft, Jacob told Laban that whoever stole them should die, and stood aside to let him search. When Laban reached Rachel's tent, she hid the teraphim by sitting on them and stating she could not get up because she was menstruating; this event was considered by the biblical audience as conveying significant defilement upon the teraphim.[citation needed] Jacob and Laban then parted from each other with a pact to preserve the peace between them. Laban returned to his home and Jacob continued on his way.
Journey back to Canaan[link]
Main article: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel
As Jacob neared the land of Canaan, he sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau. They returned with the news that Esau was coming to meet Jacob with an army of 400 men. With great apprehension, Jacob prepared for the worst. He engaged in earnest prayer to God, then sent on before him a tribute of flocks and herds to Esau, "a present to my lord Esau from thy servant Jacob".
Jacob then transported his family and flocks across the ford Jabbok by night, then recrossed back to send over his possessions, being left alone in communion with God. There, a mysterious being appeared ("man", Genesis 32:24, 28; or "God", Genesis 32:28, 30, Hosea 12:3, 5; or "angel", Hosea 12:4), and the two wrestled until daybreak. When the being saw that he did not overpower Jacob, he touched Jacob on the sinew of his thigh (the gid hanasheh, גיד הנשה), and as a result, Jacob developed a limp (Genesis 32:31). Because of this, "to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket" (Genesis 32:32). This incident is the source of the mitzvah of porging.[13]
Jacob then demanded a blessing, and the being declared that from then on, Jacob would be called יִשְׂרָאֵל, Israel (Yisra`el, meaning "one that struggled with the divine angel" (Josephus), "one who has prevailed with God" (Rashi), "a man seeing God" (Whiston), "he will rule as God" (Strong), or "a prince with God" (Morris), from Hebrew: שרה, "prevail", "have power as a prince").[14] Jacob asked the being's name, but he refused to answer. Afterwards Jacob named the place Penuel (Penuw`el, Peniy`el, meaning "face of God"),[15] saying "I have seen God face to face and lived."
Because the terminology is ambiguous ("el" in Yisra`el) and inconsistent, and because this being refused to reveal his name, there are varying views as to whether he was a man, an angel, or God. Josephus uses only the terms "angel", "divine angel", and "angel of God", describing the struggle as no small victory. According to Rashi, the being was the guardian angel of Esau himself, sent to destroy Jacob before he could return to the land of Canaan. Trachtenberg theorized that the being refused to identify itself for fear that, if its secret name was known, it would be conjurable by incantations.[16] Literal Christian interpreters like Henry M. Morris say that the stranger was "God Himself and, therefore, Christ in His preincarnate state", citing Jacob's own evaluation and the name he assumed thereafter, "one who fights victoriously with God", and adding that God had appeared in the human form of the Angel of the LORD to eat a meal with Abraham in Genesis 18.[17]
In the morning, Jacob assembled his 4 wives and 11 sons, placing the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. Some commentators cite this placement as proof that Jacob continued to favor Joseph over Leah's children, as presumably the rear position would have been safer from a frontal assault by Esau, which Jacob feared. Jacob himself took the foremost position. Esau's spirit of revenge, however, was apparently appeased by Jacob's bounteous gifts of camels, goats and flocks. Their reunion was an emotional one.
Esau offered to accompany them on their way back to Israel, but Jacob protested that his children were still young and tender (born 6 to 13 years prior in the narrative); Jacob suggested eventually catching up with Esau at Mount Seir. According to the Sages, this was a prophetic reference to the End of Days, when Jacob's descendants will come to Mount Seir, the home of Edom, to deliver judgment against Esau's descendants for persecuting them throughout the millennia (see Obadiah 1:21). Jacob actually diverted himself to Succoth and was not recorded as rejoining Esau until, at Machpelah, the two bury their father Isaac, who lived to 180 and was 60 years older than them.
Jacob then arrived in Shechem, where he bought a parcel of land, now identified as Joseph's Tomb. In Shechem, Jacob's daughter Dinah was kidnapped and raped by the ruler's son, who desired to marry the girl. Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, agreed in Jacob's name to permit the marriage as long as all the men of Shechem first circumcised themselves, ostensibly to unite the children of Jacob in Abraham's covenant of familial harmony. On the third day after the circumcisions, when all the men of Shechem were still in pain, Simeon and Levi put them all to death by the sword and rescued their sister Dinah, and their brothers plundered the property, women, and children. Jacob condemned this act, saying "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land."[18] He later rebuked his two sons for their anger in his deathbed blessing (Genesis 49:5-7).
Jacob returned to Bethel, where he had another vision of blessing. Although the death of Rebecca, Jacob's mother, is not explicitly recorded in the Bible, Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died and was buried at Bethel, at a place that Jacob calls Allon Bachuth (אלון בכות), "Oak of Weepings" (Genesis 35:8). According to the Midrash,[19] the plural form of the word "weeping" indicates the double sorrow that Rebecca also died at this time.
Jacob then made a further move while Rachel was pregnant; near Bethlehem, Rachel went into labor and died as she gave birth to her second son, Benjamin (Jacob's twelfth son). Jacob buried her and erected a monument over her grave. Rachel's Tomb, just outside Bethlehem, remains a popular site for pilgrimages and prayers to this day. Jacob then settled in Migdal Eder, where his firstborn, Reuben, slept with Rachel's servant Bilhah; Jacob's response was not given at the time, but he did condemn Reuben for it later, in his deathbed blessing. Jacob was finally reunited with his father Isaac in Mamre (outside Hebron).
When Isaac died at the age of 180, Jacob and Esau buried him in the Cave of the Patriarchs, which Abraham had purchased as a family burial plot. At this point in the biblical narrative, two genealogies of Esau's family appear under the headings "the generations of Esau". A conservative interpretation is that, at Isaac's burial, Jacob obtained the records of Esau, who had been married 80 years prior, and incorporated them into his own family records, and that Moses augmented and published them.[20]
Jacob in Hebron[link]
Main article: Plot against Joseph
The house of Jacob dwelt in Hebron,[21] in the land of Canaan. His flocks were often fed in the pastures of Shechem [22][23] as well as Dothan.[24] Of all the children in his household, he loved Rachel’s firstborn son, Joseph, the most. Thus Joseph’s half brothers were jealous of him and they ridiculed him often. Joseph even told his father about all of his half brothers’ misdeeds. When Joseph was seventeen years old, Jacob made a long coat or tunic of many colors for him. Seeing this, the half brothers began to hate Joseph. Then Joseph began to have dreams that implied that his family would bow down to him. When he told his brothers about these dreams, it drove them to conspire against him. When Jacob heard of these dreams, he rebuked his son for proposing the idea that the house of Jacob would even bow down to Joseph. Yet, he contemplated his son’s words about these dreams. (Genesis 37:1-11)
Sometime afterward, the sons of Jacob by Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, were feeding his flocks in Shechem. Jacob wanted to know how things were doing, so he asked Joseph to go down there and return with a report.[25] This was the last time he would ever see his son in Hebron. Later that day, the report that Jacob ended up receiving came from Joseph's brothers who brought before him a coat laden with blood. Jacob identified the coat as the one he made for Joseph. At that moment he cried “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” He rent his clothes and put sackcloth around his waist mourning for days. No one from the house of Jacob could comfort him during this time of bereavement. (Genesis 37:31-35)
The truth was, Jacob’s son Joseph, was turned on by his brothers and ultimately sold into slavery on a caravan headed for Egypt. (Genesis 37:36)
Seven year famine[link]
See also: Joseph's brothers sent to Egypt
Twenty years later,[26] throughout the Middle East a severe famine occurred like none other that lasted seven years.[27] It crippled nations.[28] The word was that the only kingdom prospering was Egypt. In the second year of this great famine,[29] when Israel (Jacob) was about 130 years old,[30] he told his ten sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, to go to Egypt and buy grain. Israel’s youngest son Benjamin, born from Rachel, stayed behind by his father’s order to keep him safe. (Genesis 42:1-5)
When the ten sons returned to their father Israel, from Egypt, they were stockpiled with grain on their donkeys. They relayed to their father all that had happened in Egypt. They spoke of being accused of as spies and that their brother Simeon, had been taken prisoner. When Reuben, the eldest, mentioned that they needed to bring Benjamin to Egypt to prove their word as honest men, their father became furious with them. He couldn’t understand how they were put in a position to tell the Egyptians all about their family. When the sons of Israel opened their sacks, they saw their money that they used to pay for the grain. It was still in their possession, and so they all became afraid. Israel then became angry with the loss of Joseph, Simeon, and now possibly Benjamin. (Genesis 42:26-38)
It turned out that Joseph, who identified his brothers in Egypt, was able to secretly return that money that they used to pay for the grain, back to them.[31] When the house of Israel consumed all the grain that they brought from Egypt, Israel told his sons to go back and buy more. This time, Judah spoke to his father in order to persuade him about having Benjamin accompany them, so as to prevent Egyptian retribution. In hopes of retrieving Simeon and ensuring Benjamin's return, Israel told them to bring the best fruits of their land, including: balm[disambiguation needed 
], honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Israel also mentioned that the money that was returned to their money sacks was probably a mistake or an oversight on their part. So, he told them to bring that money back and use double that amount to pay for the new grain. Lastly, he let Benjamin go with them and said “may God Almighty give you mercy… If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” (Genesis 43:1-14)
Jacob in Egypt[link]
See also: Joseph's family reunited
When the sons of Israel (Jacob) returned to Hebron from their second trip, they came back with twenty additional donkeys carrying all kinds of goods and supplies as well as Egyptian transport wagons. When their father came out to meet them, his sons told him that Joseph was still alive, that he was the governor over all of Egypt and that he wanted the house of Israel to move to Egypt. Israel’s heart “stood still” and just couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Looking upon the wagons he declared “Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” (Genesis 45:16-28)
Israel and his entire house of seventy,[32] gathered up with all their livestock and began their journey to Egypt. En route, Israel stopped at Beersheba for the night to make a sacrificial offering to his god, Yahweh. Apparently he had some reservations about leaving the land of his forefathers, but God reassured him not to fear that he would rise again. God also assured that he would be with him, he would prosper, and he would also see his son Joseph who would lay him to rest. Continuing their journey to Egypt, when they approached in proximity, Israel sent his son Judah ahead to find out where the caravans were to stop. They were directed to disembark at Goshen. It was here, after twenty-two years, that Jacob saw his son Joseph once again. They embraced each other and wept together for quite a while. Israel then said, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.” (Genesis 46:1-30)
The time had come for Joseph’s family to personally meet the Pharaoh of Egypt. After Joseph prepared his family for the meeting, the brothers came before the Pharaoh first, formally requesting to pasture in Egyptian lands. The Pharaoh honored their stay and even made the notion that if there were any competent men in their house, then they may elect a chief herdsman to oversee Egyptian livestock. Finally, Joseph’s father was brought out to meet the Pharaoh. Because the Pharaoh had such a high regard for Joseph, practically making him his equal,[33] it was an honor to meet his father. Thus, Israel was able to bless the Pharaoh. The two chatted for a bit, the Pharaoh even inquiring of Israel’s age which happened to be 130 years old at that time. After the meeting, the families were directed to pasture in the land of Ramses where they lived in the province of Goshen. The house of Israel acquired many possessions and multiplied exceedingly during the course of seventeen years, even through the worst of the seven year famine. (Genesis 46:31-47:28)
Final days[link]
Main article: Blessing of Jacob
Israel (Jacob) was 147 years old when he called to his favorite son Joseph and pleaded that he not be buried in Egypt. Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. Joseph swore to do as his father asked of him. Not too long afterward, Israel had fallen ill losing much of his vision. When Joseph came to visit his father, he brought with him his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Israel declared that they would be heirs to the inheritance of the house of Israel, as if they were his own children, just as Reuben and Simeon were. Then Israel laid his right hand on the younger Ephraim’s head and his left hand on the eldest Manasseh’s head and blessed Joseph. However, Joseph was displeased that his father’s right hand was not on the head of his firstborn, so he switched his father’s hands. But Israel refused saying, “but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he.” A declaration he made, just as Israel himself was to his firstborn brother Esau. Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages. (Genesis 47:29-49:32)
Afterward, Israel died and the family, including the Egyptians, mourned him seventy days. Israel was embalmed and a great ceremonial journey to Canaan was prepared by Joseph. He led the servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of the houses Israel and Egypt beyond the Jordan River to Atad where they observed seven days of mourning. Their lamentation was so great that it caught the attention of surrounding Canaanites who remarked “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” This spot was then named Abel Mizraim. Then they buried him in the cave of Machpelah, the property of Abraham when he bought it from the Hittites. (Genesis 49:33-50:14)
Sons of Jacob[link]
See also: Israelite
Jacob's wives had twelve sons and one daughter: Reuben (Genesis 29:32), Simeon (Genesis 29:33), Levi (Genesis 29:34), Judah (Genesis 29:35), Dan (Genesis 30:5), Naphtali (Genesis 30:7), Gad (Genesis 30:10), Asher (Genesis 30:12), Issachar (Genesis 30:17), Zebulun (Genesis 30:19), Dinah (Genesis 30:21), Joseph (Genesis 30:23), and Benjamin (Genesis 35:18).
|
||||||||||||||
The offspring of Jacob's sons became the tribes of Israel following the Exodus, when the Israelites conquered and settled in the Land of Israel.
Religious perspectives[link]
Jewish tradition[link]
According to the classic Jewish texts, Jacob, as the third and last patriarch, lives a life that parallels the descent of his offspring, the Jewish people, into the darkness of exile. In contrast to Abraham — who illuminates the world with knowledge of God and earns the respect of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan — and Isaac — who continues his father's teachings and also lives in relative harmony with his neighbors — Jacob experiences many personal struggles both in the land and out of it - including the hatred of his brother, Esau; the deception of his father-in-law, Laban; the rape of his daughter, Dinah; the death of his favorite wife, Rachel; and the sale of his son, Joseph. For this reason, the Jewish commentators interpret many elements of his story as being symbolic of the future difficulties and struggles the Jewish people would undergo.[citation needed]
There are two opinions in the Midrash as to how old Rebekah was at the time of her marriage and, consequently, at the twins' birth. According to the traditional counting cited by Rashi, Isaac was 37 years old at the time of the Binding of Isaac, and news of Rebekah's birth reached Abraham immediately after that event.[34] In that case, since Isaac was 60 when Jacob and Essau were born and they had been married for 20 years, then Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Gen. 25:20), making Rebekah 3 years old at the time of her marriage, and 23 years old at the birth of Jacob and Essau. According to the second opinion, Rebekah was 14 years old at the time of their marriage, and 34 years old at the birth of Jacob and Essau.[35] In either case, Isaac and Rebekah were married for 20 years before Jacob and Esau were born. The Midrash says that during Rebekah's pregnancy whenever she would pass a house of Torah study, Jacob would struggle to come out; whenever she would pass a house of idolatry, Esau would agitate to come out.[36]
Rashi explained that Isaac, when blessing Jacob instead of Esau, smelled the heavenly scent of Gan Eden (Paradise) when Jacob entered his room and, in contrast, perceived Gehenna opening beneath Esau when the latter entered the room, showing him that he had been deceived all along by Esau's show of piety.[37]
When Laban planned to deceive Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the Midrash recounts that both Jacob and Rachel suspected that Laban would pull such a trick; Laban was known as the "Aramean" (deceiver), and changed Jacob's wages ten times during his employ (Genesis 31:7). The couple therefore devised a series of signs by which Jacob could identify the veiled bride on his wedding night. But when Rachel saw her sister being taken out to the wedding canopy, her heart went out to her for the public shame Leah would suffer if she were exposed. Rachel therefore gave Leah the signs so that Jacob would not realize the switch.
Jewish Apocalyptic literature of the Hellenistic period includes many ancient texts with narratives about Jacob, many times with details different from Genesis. The more important are the book of Jubilees and the Book of Biblical Antiquities. Jacob is also the protagonist of the Testament of Jacob, of the Ladder of Jacob and of the Prayer of Joseph, which interpret the experience of this Patriarch in the context of merkabah mysticism.
Eastern Christianity[link]
.jpg)
The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite see Jacob's dream as a prophecy of the Incarnation of the Logos, whereby Jacob's ladder is understood as a symbol of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), who, according to Orthodox theology, united heaven and earth in her womb. The biblical account of this vision (Genesis 28:10-17) is one of the standard Old Testament readings at Vespers on Great Feasts of the Theotokos.
The account of Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons is also seen as prophetic by Christian commentators. For example, the crossing of his arms to bestow his patriarchal blessing on them in Genesis 48:8-20 is seen as a foreshadowing of the blessings Christians believe resulted from Jesus' death on the cross.[citation needed]
Islamic tradition[link]
Main article: Islamic view of Jacob
Muslims revere Jacob (Arabic: يعقوب , Standard: Ya'qub) as a Prophet of Islam who received inspiration from God. He is acknowledged as a patriarch of Islam. Muslims believe that he preached the same monotheistic faith as his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Jacob is mentioned 16 times in the Qur'an.[38] In the majority of these references, Jacob is mentioned alongside fellow prophets and patriarchs as an ancient and pious prophet. According to the Qur'an, Jacob remained in the company of the elect throughout his life. (XXXVIII: 47) The Qur'an specifically mentions that Jacob was guided (VI: 84) and inspired (IV: 163) and was chosen to enforce the awareness of the Hereafter. (XXXVIII: 46) Jacob is described as a good-doer (XXI: 72) and the Qur'an further makes it clear that God inspired Jacob to contribute towards purification and hold the contact prayer. (XXI: 73) Jacob is further described as being resourceful and a possessor of great vision (XXXVIII: 45) and is further spoken of as being granted a "tongue [voice] of truthfulness to be heard". (XIX: 50)
Of the life of Jacob, the Qur'an narrates two especially important events. The first is the role he plays in the story of his son Joseph. The Qur'an narrates the story of Joseph in detail, and Jacob, being Joseph's father, is mentioned thrice and is referenced another 25 times.[38] In the narrative, Jacob does not trust some of his older sons (XII: 11, 18, 23) because they do not respect him. (XII: 8, 16-17) Jacob's prophetic nature is evident from his foreknowledge of Joseph's future greatness (XII: 6), his foreboding and response to the supposed death of Joseph (XII: 13, 18) and in his response to the sons' plight in Egypt. (XII: 83, 86-87, 96) Islamic literature fleshes out the narrative of Jacob, and mentions that his wives included Rachel.[39] Jacob is later mentioned in the Qur'an in the context of the promise bestowed to Zechariah, regarding the birth of John the Baptist. (XIX: 6) Jacob’s second mention is in the Qur'an’s second chapter. As Jacob lay on his deathbed, he asked his twelve sons to testify their faith to him before he departed from this world to the next. (II: 132) Each son testified in front of Jacob that they would promise to remain Muslim until the day of their death, that is they would surrender their wholeselves to God alone and would worship only Him.
In contrast to the Judeo-Christian view of Jacob, one main difference is that the story of Jacob's blessing, in which he deceives Isaac, is not accepted in Islam. The Qur'an makes it clear that Jacob was blessed by God as a prophet and, therefore, Muslims believe that his father, being a prophet as well, also knew of his son's greatness.[40] Jacob is also cited in the Hadith as an example of one who was patient and trusting in God in the face of suffering.[38] Jacob is also important as his life drew numerous parallels with the life of Muhammad. Jacob suffered great loss repeatedly, as did Muhammad in the Year of Sorrow, when both Khadija and Abu Talib died. Muhammad’s famous Night Journey, when the prophet travelled through the Heavens, has been seen by scholars as the obvious prophetic parallel to Jacob’s equally famous vision of Jacob's Ladder coming down from the Heavens. Muslim scholars have also linked both prophets through the fact that both prophets made at least one important journey in their lives; just as Jacob migrated from Canaan to Egypt, Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina.
The story of Jacob in Islam also draws many parallels with the Islamic traditions of Job, In that both had lost many things, and still upheld patience. In Islamic tradition, Jacob had lost his father, Isaac as well as his wife Rachel in the same year, followed by his loss of his favorite son, Joseph. Similarly Job lost everything, and stayed patient and kept faith in God, and eventually everything was returned back to him and some things were multiplied for him.
References[link]
- ^ Wells, John C. (1990). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman. p. 381. ISBN 0-582-05383-8. entry "Jacob"
- ^ See Genesis 37:35
- ^ Enumerations of the twelve tribes vary. Because Jacob effectively adopted two of his grandsons by Joseph and Asenath, namely Ephraim and Manasseh, the two grandsons were often substituted for the Tribe of Joseph, yielding thirteen tribes, or twelve if Levi is set apart.
- ^ Mike Campbell, Behind the Name, entry Israel
- ^ Hamilton 1995, p. 334
- ^ Wenham 1994, pp. 296–297
- ^ Megan Bishop Moore, Brad E. Kelle, Biblical History and Israel's Past: The Changing Study of the Bible and History, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2011, pp. 57-74.
- ^ Rainer Albertz, Israel in exile: the history and literature of the sixth century B.C.E., Society of Biblical Literature, 2003, p. 246
- ^ Strong's Concordance 6215, 6213.
- ^ Strong's Concordance 3290, 6117.
- ^ Scherman, Rabbi Nosson (1993). The Chumash. Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, p. 135.
- ^ Genesis 27:42
- ^ Eisenstein, Judah David (1901–1906). "Porging". Jewish Encyclopedia. New York City. LCCN:16014703. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=453&letter=P. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
- ^ Strong's Concordance 3478, 8280.
- ^ Strong's Concordance 6439.
- ^ Trachtenberg 1939, p. 80.
- ^ Morris, Henry M. (1976). The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House. pp. 337, 499–502.
- ^ Genesis 34:30
- ^ Bereshit Rabbah 81:5.
- ^ Morris, Henry M. (1976). The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House. pp. 524–525.
- ^ Genesis 37:14
- ^ Genesis 37:12
- ^ Josephus. The Antiquities of the Jews, Book II, 2.4.18
- ^ Genesis 37:16,17
- ^ Genesis 37:12-14
- ^ Compare Genesis 37:2,41:46
- ^ Genesis 41:53
- ^ Genesis 41:54-57,47:13
- ^ Genesis 45:9-11
- ^ Compare Genesis 47:9
- ^ Genesis 42:25
- ^ Genesis 46:27
- ^ Genesis 44:18
- ^ Rashi writes, "The Holy One, blessed be He, announced to him [Abraham] that Rebekah, his [Isaac's] mate, had been born." Commentary on Gen. 22:20.
- ^ Torah Insights: Parshat Toldot.
- ^ Bereshit Rabbah 63:6.
- ^ Pirkei d'Rav Kahana, quoted in Scherman, p. 139.
- ^ a b c "Jacob", Encyclopedia of Islam Vol. XI, p.254.
- ^ Kathir, Ibn. "Jacob", Stories of the Prophets
- ^ Azzam, Leila. "Isaac and Jacob", Lives of the Prophets
Further reading[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jacob |
- Trachtenberg, Joshua (1939), Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion, New York: Behrman's Jewish Book house
External links[link]
Texts on Wikisource:
- “Jacob,” a poem by Arthur Hugh Clough
- Beach, Chandler B., ed. (1914). "Jacob". The New Student's Reference Work. Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co.. Wikisource
- "Jacob". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jacob |
| Alternative names | יַעֲקֹב (Hebrew), Yaʿakov (Modern Hebrew), Yaʿăqōḇ (Tibetan), Ἰακώβ (Septuagint Greek), Yaʿqūb (Arabic), Israel |
| Short description | Biblical patriarch of the Hebrews |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | Canaan |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | Egypt |
http://wn.com/Jacob
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Giacobbe
http://cs.wn.com/Jákob
http://id.wn.com/Yakub
http://es.wn.com/Jacob
http://nl.wn.com/Jakob (aartsvader)
http://pl.wn.com/Jakub (postać biblijna)
http://fr.wn.com/Jacob
http://ru.wn.com/Иаков
http://de.wn.com/Jakob (Patriarch)
http://pt.wn.com/Jacó
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
 |
This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (March 2012) |
Trevor Noah (born 20 February 1984) is an award winning[1] South African comedian. He has also been a radio DJ, actor and TV host.
Contents |
Career[link]
Trevor Noah had a small role on the South African soap opera, Isidingo in 2002, when he was 18. He then began hosting his own radio show Noah’s Ark on Gauteng’s leading youth radio station, Yfm. Noah then went on to host an educational program on SABC2 followed by hosting The Real Goboza, a gossip show on SABC1[2].
Noah dropped his radio show and acting to focus on comedy, and has performed with South African comedians such as Riaad Moosa, Darren Simpson, Marc Lottering, Barry Hilton and Nik Rabinowitz[3], international comedians such as Paul Rodriguez, Carl Barron and Paul Zerdin, and as the opening act for Gabriel Iglesias in November 2007 and Canadian comedian Russell Peters on his South African tour[4].
Noah has performed all around South Africa in The Blacks Only Comedy Show, Heavyweight Comedy Jam, the Vodacom Campus Comedy Tour, the Cape Town International Comedy Festival, the Jozi Comedy Festival, and Bafunny Bafunny. His stand up comedy specials include The Daywalker[5], and Crazy Normal[6] both of which have been released on DVD.
Following his Daywalker performance Noah began hosting his own TV Show Tonight with Trevor Noah which aired on South Africa's MNet network[7].
On 6 January 2012 Noah became the first South African stand up comedian to appear on The Tonight Show[8].
Noah is also the subject of the documentary You Laugh But It's True[9][10] which will be released in 2012.
Relationship with Cell C[link]
On 28 July 2010, a video clip of Trevor Noah was posted on YouTube in which he expressed the faults of various mobile networks, more specifically Cell C, South Africa’s 3rd largest mobile network operator. Cell C then publicly apologized to Noah in adverts printed in The Sunday Times[11].
Shortly afterwards Cell C announced plans to upgrade their network infrastructure to 4G as well as unveiling a new Cell C brand. It was also revealed that Noah would be Cell C's new CEO ("Customer Experience Officer"), essentially a consumer protection agent[12]. He would be a representative for all consumers, keep the company "honest" and assist them in understanding their consumer’s wants and needs.
Appearances[link]
- Film
- 2012
-
- Subject of the documentary You Laugh But It's True
- Television
- 2002
- 2004
-
- Presentor on Run The Adventure (until 2006)
- 2007
-
- Hosted The Real Goboza
- Hosted Siyadlala (SABC's sports show)
- 2008
-
- Co-hosted alongside Pabi Moloi on The Amazing Date (dating game-show)
- Runner up on Strictly Come Dancing Season 4
- 2009
-
- Hosted the 3rd Annual South Africa Film and Television Awards (SAFTA Awards)
- Co-hosted alongside Eugene Khoza on The Axe Sweet Life (reality competition series)
- Hosted the 15th annual South African Music Awards
- 2010
-
- Hosted the 16th annual South African Music Awards
- Hosted Tonight with Trevor Noah on MNet (in the second season it moved to DStv's Mzansi Magic Channel).
- 2012
-
- Performing on The Tonight Show January 6
- Comedy
- 2007
-
- Opening comedy act for Gabriel Iglesias South African tour
- 2009
-
- Starred in his first one man comedy show The Daywalker
- 2010
-
- Starred in the comedy show Bafunny Bafunny
- 2011
-
- Starred in the one man comedy show Goodbye For Now, which was released on DVD as Crazy Normal
References[link]
- ^ South African Comedy Awards
- ^ Trevor Noah - Actor Profile
- ^ Bafunny Bafunny
- ^ Trevor Noah - Bafunny Bafunny
- ^ IMDB - Trevor Noah: The Daywalker
- ^ IMDB - Trevor Noah: Crazy Normal
- ^ Tonight With Trevor Noah
- ^ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Episode Guide
- ^ You Laugh But It's True Official Website
- ^ IMDB - You Laugh But It's True
- ^ Cell C responds to Facebook, YouTube jibes with full page newspaper ad
- ^ Tell Trevor - Cell C South Africa
External links[link]
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Noah, Trevor |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | South African actor |
| Date of birth | 20 February 1984 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Trevor_Noah
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Noah
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Hifikepunye Pohamba | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of Namibia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2005 |
|
| Prime Minister | Nahas Angula |
| Preceded by | Sam Nujoma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1935-08-18) 18 August 1935 (age 76) Okanghudi, Ohangwena Region |
| Nationality | Namibian |
| Political party | SWAPO |
| Spouse(s) | Penehupifo Pohamba |
| Children | Tulongeni Kaupu Ndapandula |
| Alma mater | Peoples' Friendship University of Russia[1] |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | Anglican |
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born August 18, 1935)[2][3] is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since November 2007. Re-elected in 2009, his second term will expire in 2015.
Contents |
Life and career[link]
As a child, he was educated at an Anglican mission.[2] At the age of 25, Pohamba was a founding member of SWAPO in 1960.[3][4] He was arrested for his political activity but moved to Southern Rhodesia, whence he was deported soon afterwards. He then spent four months in prison in South West Africa[5] before spending two years in Ovamboland under house arrest.[citation needed] In 1964, he went to Lusaka to set up SWAPO's Zambian office,[2][5] and on his return, met the man who was later to become President, Sam Nujoma.[citation needed] Until the achievement of Namibian independence, Pohamba represented SWAPO across Africa,[2][5] although he studied politics in the Soviet Union for a time in the early 1980s.[2][3] He headed SWAPO's 1989 election campaign[4] and was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990,[6] before becoming a member of the National Assembly at independence in March 1990.[3][5] He was Minister of Home Affairs from March 1990 to 1995, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources from 1995 to 1997,[2][3][5] and Minister without Portfolio from 1997 to March 2000.[2][7] He was elected as Secretary-General of SWAPO in 1997 and as its Vice-President in 2002.[5] On January 26, 2001, he was appointed Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation,[8] in which position he remained until becoming President in 2005.
Under Pohamba as Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Namibia initiated a policy of partial land expropriation from landed white farmers to landless black ones. This policy replaced the previous one of "willing buyer-willing seller".
Presidency[link]
Pohamba was selected as SWAPO's candidate for the 2004 presidential election at an extraordinary party congress held in May 2004. He received 213 votes out of 526 in the first round of voting; in the second round, held on May 30, he won with 341 votes against 167 for Hidipo Hamutenya, having received the support of nearly all of those who had backed third place candidate Nahas Angula in the first round.[9] In the presidential election, held on November 15/16 2004, Pohamba won with 76.44% of the vote,[10] in what has been described as a "landslide", but also denounced as flawed by the opposition.[11] He was backed by Nujoma, who was then serving his third five-year term; Pohamba has been described as Nujoma's hand-picked successor.[12] Pohamba took office as president on March 21, 2005[13] and has since distinguished himself by careful but decisive moves against corruption.
Although there was speculation that Nujoma would seek re-election as SWAPO President in 2007 and then run for President of Namibia again in 2009, he denied these rumours in early October 2007, saying that he intended to step down as party leader in favour of Pohamba.[14][15] On November 29, 2007, Pohamba was elected as SWAPO President at a party congress; he was the only candidate to be nominated and no voting was deemed necessary. Nujoma said that he was "passing the torch and mantle of leadership to comrade Pohamba".[16] The congress also chose Pohamba as the party's only candidate for the 2009 presidential election.[17][18] Pohamba won the 2009 presidential election, receiving 611,241 totals votes (76.42%). The closest candidate was Hidipo Hamutenya, who received 88,640 (11.08%).[19]
Pohamba is a recipient of the Ongulumbashe Medal for Bravery and Long Service.[20]
References[link]
- ^ allafrica.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Profile of Pohamba, Klausdierks.com.
- ^ a b c d e National Assembly profile for Pohamba.
- ^ a b "Profile: Hifikepunye Pohamba", BBC News, 22 November 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f Curriculum Vitae for Pohamba, Namibian government website.
- ^ List of members of the Constituent Assembly, parliament.gov.na.
- ^ "Nujoma names new cabinet", IRIN, March 20, 2000.
- ^ "President appoints ruling party secretary-general new land minister", Nampa, January 26, 2001.
- ^ Petros Kuteeue, "Pohamba the winner", The Namibian, May 31, 2004.
- ^ "ELECTION UPDATE 2004, NAMIBIA", Electoral Institute of Southern Africa report, number 3, December 10, 2004, page 9.
- ^ "Swapo man wins Namibia landslide", BBC News, November 21, 2004.
- ^ "Namibians Prepare to Vote", VOA News, November 14, 2004.
- ^ "Namibia Swears-in New President", VOA News, March 21, 2005.
- ^ "Former president Nujoma to quit active politics", African Press Agency, October 2, 2007.
- ^ s24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2194742,00.html "Namibia's ex-president retires", AFP (News24.com), October 3, 2007.
- ^ "Nujoma succeeded by Pohamba", AFP, November 30, 2007.
- ^ Brigitte Weidlich, [tt_news]=32912&no_cache=1 "A title for Nujoma, brickbats for media", The Namibian, December 3, 2007.
- ^ "Namibia: Pohamba for 2009 polls", News24.com, December 4, 2007.
- ^ Final result for Presidential election 5 December 2009
- ^ The comrade Nujoma trusts like a brother The Namibian 24 May 2004
See also[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hifikepunye Pohamba |
- Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-IV), 2008.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sam Nujoma |
President of Namibia 2005–present |
Incumbent |
|
|||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pohamba, Hifikepunye |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | August 18, 1935 |
| Place of birth | Okanghudi, South West Africa |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Hifikepunye_Pohamba
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://cs.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://id.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://es.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://ru.wn.com/Похамба, Хификепунье
http://nl.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://pt.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://pl.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://fr.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
http://de.wn.com/Hifikepunye Pohamba
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hifikepunye_Pohamba
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
