UNION BUILDING

The Union Buildings are located in Pretoria, known as the offices of the president of South Africa, The Buildings are one of the centres of political life in South Africa, It has become an iconic landmark of Pretoria and South Africa in general, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and an emblem of democracy.

The design consisted of two identical wings, joined by a semicircular colonnade forming the backdrop of the amphitheatre. The colonnade was terminated on either side by a tower.

The lawn in front of the Union Buildings are often the location for public gatherings, whether they be protest or celebration, such as the presidential inauguration.

These buildings, built from light sandstone, were designed by the architect Sir Herbert Baker.  In the English monumental style and are 285 m long. They have a semi-circular shape, with the two wings at the sides, this serves to represent the union of a formerly divided people.

MISS SOUTH AFRICA

Previous Five  Miss SA

Marilyn Ramos  2012

Marilyn Ramos  was born on 16^th of February 1991 she is South African beauty pageant titleholder  for  Miss South Africa 2012

Melinda Bam 2011

Melinda Bam was born on 14^th May 1989 is a South African beauty pageant titleholder for Miss South African 2011

Bokang Montjane 2010

Bokang Montjane was born year 1986 is a South African beauty pageant titleholder for Miss South Africa 2010

Nicole Flint  2009

Nicole Flint was born 15 May 1988 is a South African beauty pageant title holder for Miss South Africa 2009 

Tatum Keshwar 2008

Tatum Keshwar  was born 14 December  1983 is a South African beauty pageant holder for Miss South Africa 2008

Miss South Africa is an annual beauty pageant in South Africa that began in 1956. The winner of the pageant represents her country at the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants.

Miss South Africa has always competed at Miss World. Prior to 1998, South Africa's representatives at Miss Universe qualified via other national pageants, but they were not the winners of the Miss South Africa pageant. 

THABO MBEKI

Thabo Mbeki was born 18 June 1942 in South Africa. He is the former South African President

He was born and raised in Mbewuleni  Cape Province, Mbeki is one of four children of and Govan Mbeki

In December 1961, Mbeki was elected secretary of the African Students' Association. In the following year, he left South Africa on instructions of the ANC.

During his time in office the economy grew at an average rate of 4.5% per year. 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.

Thabo Mbeki was the executive face of government in South Africa from 1994. Mbeki created employment in the middle sectors of the economy and oversaw a fast-growing black middle class with the implementation of Black Economic Empowerment (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. 

KGALEMA MOTLANTHE BIOGRAPHY

Kgalema Motlanthe  was born 19 July 1949 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009, following the resignation of Thabo Mbeki.

In the 1970s, while working for the Johannesburg City Council, he was recruited into Umkhonto we Sizwe. He formed part of a unit tasked with recruiting comrades for military training.

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.

JULIUS MALEMA

Julius Malema is the former the ANC youth league president, was born on 3^rd of march 1981 place of birth Seshego in South Africa. Malema went to Mohlakaneng High School in Seshego

Malema was elected a chairman of the Youth League branch in Seshego and the regional chairman in 1995. In 1997 he became the chairman of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) for the Limpopo province, and was elected as the national president of that organisation in 2001

Malema was elected as the president of the ANC Youth League in April 2008

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 ANC for five years.

He called on South Africans to "stand up and be counted" and announced his intention to hold consultative forums and platforms across the country to discuss "what is to be done".

Who knows he could be our future president. 

JOHANNESBURG TOWNSHIPS

Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities,During the Apartheid Era blacks were evicted from properties that were in areas designated as "white only" and forced to move into segregated townships.

In 1985 the government introduced Black local Authorities and Township councils as an extension of the apartheid administration. Alexandra residents responded by establishing their own alternative to this. This counter-council was called the Alexandra Action Committee. The committee organised Alexandra into yard, block, and street committees to take over the day to day running of Alexandra Township.

Townships

• Soweto
• Alexandra
• Orange Farm
• Diepkloof
• Tembisa

THE GUMBOOT DANCE

The gumboot dance is an African dance that is performed by dancers wearing wellington boots. This is called the Gumboots dance, the dance began in the gold mine South Africa.

The mine workers were not free to move around at will and were separated from their families for long periods of time. At best, working in the mines was a long, hard, repetitive toil,\. At worst, the men would be taken chained into the mines and shackled at their work stations in almost total darkness.

The workers were forbidden to speak, and as a result create a means of communication, essentially their own unique form of Morse code

Gumboot dancing has developed into a working class. South African art form with a Universal appeal. The dancers expand upon traditional steps. With the addition of contemporary movement. Music and song. Extremely physical, the dancing serves as a cathartic release, celebrating the body as an instrument, and the richness and complexities of South African culture.