Orange Free State

The Orange Free State (Afrikaans/Dutch: Oranje Vrijstaat) is an independent republic in southern Africa. Together with the Kingdom of Lesotho it forms an inland enclave inside the Republic of South Africa.

The official language in the Orange Free State was Dutch until 1926, when the Parliament (Volksraad) changed it to Afrikaans. The Orange Free State has developed into a politically and economically successful republic, however between the 1930's and 1980's it practised an Apartheid policy, systematically discriminating black, coloured and Asian people.

Today Orange Free State is a developing multi-ethnic state which has a large variety of cultures and languages. Although only one official language is recognised in the constitution, also 5 other languages are recognized as minority languages. Two of these languages are of European origin: Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and coloured, and South African English. Afrikaans is the most common language used in public and commercial life, and also more than half of the population use it as their home language. All ethnic 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.

About 66.0% of the Free State population is of black African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages. Orange Free State is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, one of only five countries in Africa in this category (the others being South Africa, Botswana, Gabon and Mauritius). It has the sixth largest economy in Africa, and the 75th-largest in the world. About 10% of the population is unemployed and 5% of people live on less than US $1.25 a day.

Etymology
The country lies between the Orange and Vaal rivers and its borders were determined by the United Kingdom in 1848 when the region was proclaimed as the Orange River Sovereignty, with a seat of a British Resident in Bloemfontein. The republic's name derives partly from the Orange River, which in turn was named in honour of the Dutch ruling royal family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch settlers under Robert Jacob Gordon.

Government and politics


Orange Free State is a presidential republic, where the President is both head of state and head of government, and depends for his tenure on the confidence of Parliament. The executive, legislature and judiciary are all subject to the supremacy of the Constitution, and the superior courts have the power to strike down executive actions and acts of Parliament if they are unconstitutional. The National Assembly (Volksraad), the lower house of Parliament, consists of 122 members and is elected every six years. In the most recent election, held on 22 April 2008, the centrist Volksfront (Peoples Front, VF) won 52.7% of the vote and 63 seats, while its main opposition, the leftist Oranje Kommunistiese Party (Orange Communist Party, OKP) won 14.8% of the vote and 18 seats and the right-wing Nieuwe Nationale Party (New National Party, NNP) won 12.0% of the vote and 15 seats. The National Council (Nationale Raad), the upper house, consists of fifty members, with each of the five Provincial Councils electing ten members. After each parliamentary election, the National Assembly elects one of its members as President; hence the President serves a term of office the same as that of the Assembly, normally six years. No President may serve more than two terms in office. The President appoints a Deputy President and Ministers, who form the Cabinet. The President and the Cabinet may be removed by the National Assembly by a motion of no confidence. The judicial system consists of the magistrates' courts, which hear lesser criminal cases and smaller civil cases; the High Courts, which are courts of general jurisdiction for specific areas; the Supreme Court of Appeal, which is the highest court in all but constitutional matters; and the Constitutional Court, which hears only constitutional matters. The first European based law in South Africa was brought by the Dutch East India Company and is called Roman-Dutch law. It was imported before the codification of European law into the Napoleonic Code and is comparable in many ways to Scots law. This was followed in the 19th century by English law, both common and statutory. Starting from 1854 independence, Orange Free State has had its own parliament passing laws specific for Free State, building on those previously passed. Since 1996, Free State politics have been dominated by Volksfront (VF), which has been the dominant party with over 50% of votes. The main challenger to the rule of the VF are the leftist Oranje Kommunistiese Party and the right-wing Nieuwe Nationale Party. The National Party, which was responsible of the apartheid in Free State, ruled from 1930's to 1960's and renamed itself in 1982 to New National Party (Nieuwe Nationale Party). Other major political parties represented in Parliament are the Demokratiese Alliantie (DA), Party van de Arbeid (PvdA), and the Afrikaanse Party (AP), which mainly represents Tswana and Sesotho voters and took 3.7% of the vote in the 2008 election. Since 2004, the country has had many thousands of popular protests. Many of these protests have been organised from the growing shanty towns that surround Free State cities.

Provinces
At the end of apartheid in 1984, the "independent" and "semi-independent" Bantustans were abolished, and new provinces were created. Each province is governed by a Provincial Council (Provinsiale Raad), which is elected every five years by party-list proportional representation. The Provincial Council elects a Premier as head of the province, and the Premier appoints an Executive Council as a provincial cabinet to assist him/her in the governance. The powers of Provincial Councils are limited to topics listed in the Constitution; these topics include such fields as health, education, public housing and transport. The Provincial Councils also elect 10 members from their Council to the Nationale Raad every six years.

Military


The Orange Free State Defense Forces (OFSDF, Oranje Vrystaat Weermag, OVW) is one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in Africa. The OFSDF consists of a cadre of professional soldiers, currently serving conscripts, paramilitary Kommando Corps and a large reserve. The standard readiness strength is 15,000 people in uniform, of which 40% are professional soldiers. A universal male conscription is in place, under which all male Free State nationals between 18 and 35 years serve for 13 months of armed service or 16 months of civilian (non-armed) service. Alternative non-military service and volunteer service by women is also possible.

The Orange Free State Defence Forces are under the command of the Chief of Defense, who is directly subordinate to the President of the Orange Free State in matters related to military command. The current commander in chief is General Owabete Ruuth. The branches of the military are the Army, Air Force, Special Forces and the Kommando Corps. The Border Guard is under the Ministry of General Affairs but can be incorporated into the Defense Forces when required for defence readiness.

Geography and environment
The Orange Free State is situated on flat boundless plains in the heart of southern Africa. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow a thriving agricultural industry. With more than 30,000 farms, which produce over grain far over the country needs, it is known locally as South Africa's breadbasket. The province is high-lying, with almost all land being 1,000 metres above sea level. The Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains foothills raise the terrain to over 2,000 m in the east. The Free State lies in the heart of the Karoo Sequence of rocks, containing shales, mudstones, sandstones and the Drakensberg Basalt forming the youngest capping rocks. Mineral deposits are plentiful, with gold and diamonds being of particular importance, mostly found in the north and west of the province.

Climate
The Orange Free State experiences a continental climate, characterised by warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer. Almost all precipitation falls in the summer months as brief afternoon thunderstorms, with aridity increasing towards the west. Areas in the east around Harrismith, Bethlehem and Ficksburg are well watered. The capital, Bloemfontein, experiences hot, moist summers and cold, dry winters frequented by severe frost. Bloemfontein averages: January maximum: 31 °C (min: 15 °C), July maximum: 17 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 559 mm Bethlehem averages: 27 °C (min: 13 °C), July maximum: 16 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 680 mm

Flora and fauna
The grassy plains in the south of the reserve provides ideal conditions for large herds of plain game such as black wildebeest and springbok. The ridges, koppies and plains typical of the northern section are home to kudu, red hartebeest, white rhinoceros and buffalo. The African wildcat, black wildebeest, zebra, eland, white rhinoceros and wild dog can be seen at the Soetdoring Nature Reserve near Bloemfontein. The most prevalent biome in Orange Free State is the grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is dominated by different grasses, low shrubs, and acacia trees, mainly camel-thorn and whitethorn. Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the west due to low rainfall. In the east there are several species of water-storing succulents like aloes and euphorbias. Naturally occurring vegetation in the Highveld consists of different types of well-established grassland depending on the varying amounts of rainfall across the area: subtropical and temperate grassland, with true savannah not dominating the ecosystem until more tropical latitudes. The major grass species are Hyparrhenia hirta and Sporobolus pyramidalis and among these are other grasses and herbs. Trees and shrubs never thrived due to the frequent fires that occurred in the dry season and the heavy grazing (once by wild animals and now by livestock). The highveld is home to a number of endangered animals including Straw-coloured Fruit Bats, Mountain Zebras and the Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus). The only endemic bird species is Botha's Lark (Spizocorys fringillaris) and the only endemic mammal is Free State Pygmy Mouse (Mus orangiae). Other endangered animals such as reptiles include Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) and Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis). Like so many areas of traditional grassland all over the world the Highveld is excellent agricultural land and most of the area has been converted for farming. The grassland now remains in its original state in areas of nature reserve, which although a small portion of the Highveld are still the largest areas of remaining grassland in southern Africa. The protected areas include Vaal Dam and Koppies Dam Nature Reserves and Willem Pretorius Game Reserve. Climate change is expected to bring considerable warming and drying to much of this already semi-arid region, with greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, flooding and drought. According to computer generated climate modelling produced by the Orange Free State National Biodiversity Institute, parts of southern Africa will see an increase in temperature by about one degree Celsius along the coast to more than four degrees Celsius in the already hot hinterland such as the Northern Cape in late spring and summertime by 2050.

Economy
Orange Free State is one of Africa's most stable and prosperous nations, leading African nations in human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization and economic freedom. However, it has a high unemployment, a large portion of population lives in poverty and a high economic inequality, as measured by the Gini index. In 2000 the average white household was earning four times more than the average black household. The economic policies since 2000's have aimed at decreasing income gap, increase employment by creating jobs and encouraging smaller (white) companies hiring more (black and coloured) workforce. Official affirmative action policies have seen a rise in black economic wealth and an emerging black middle class. Other problems include state ownership and interference, which impose high barriers to entry in many areas. Restrictive labour regulations have contributed to the unemployment malaise. After 1991 government policy brought down inflation, stabilised public finances, and some foreign capital was attracted, however growth was still subpar. From 2000 onward economic growth picked up significantly; both employment and capital formation increased. Many unskilled immigrants to Orange Free State continue to live in poor conditions, although the immigration policy has become increasingly restrictive since 1991 to discourage immigration. Illegal immigrants are mostly involved in informal trading. Principal international trading partners of Orange Free State-besides other South Africa and other African countries—include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Syldavia, Shustrepistaz and Cattala.

Art
On top of the native Bantu tradition in arts, white Freestaters have also produced prominent artists and many Freestaters also enjoy a high level of Art exhibitions held in the Bloemfontein Kultureel Sentrum throughout the year.

Literature
Freestaters, as Afrikaners in general, have a long literary tradition, and have produced a number of notable novelists and poets, including Eugene Marais, Uys Krige, Elisabeth Eybers, Breyten Breytenbach, André Brink, and Etienne Leroux.

Music
Music is probably the most popular art form among Freestaters. While the traditional Boeremusiek (Boer Music) and Volkspele (literally, People Games) folk dancing enjoyed popularity in the past, most white Freestaters today favour a variety of international genres and light popular Afrikaans music. American country and western music has enjoyed great popularity and has a strong following among the Freestater youth. Some also enjoy a social dance event called a sokkie. The South African rock band, Seether, has a hidden track on their album, Karma and Effect, that is sung in the Afrikaans language. It is titled, Kom Saam Met My, which is translated as Come With Me. There is also an underground rock music movement in Bloemfontein and bands like the controversial Fokofpolisiekar have a large following there. The television Channel MK (MK is for Musiek Kanaal) also supports local Afrikaans music and mainly screen videos from the Afrikaans Rock genre.

Sports
Rugby, cricket, and golf are generally considered to be the most popular sports among Afrikaners. Rugby in particular is considered one of the central pillars of the Freestater community. The national Rugby team of the Orange Free State is called the Leopards. "Boere-sport" also played a very big role in the Afrikaner history. It consisted of a variety of sports like tug of war, three-legged races, jukskei, skilpadloop (tortoise walk) and other games.

Education
The Orange Free State has a 3 tier system of education starting with primary school, followed by high school and tertiary education in the form of (academic) universities and universities of technology. Learners have twelve years of formal schooling, from grade 1 to 12. Grade R is a pre-primary foundation year. Primary schools span the first seven years of schooling. High School education spans a further five years. The Senior Certificate examination takes place at the end of grade 12 and is necessary for tertiary studies at a university.

The School System is further divided in private-, and public education. The BCVO (Afrikaans: Beweging vir Christelik-Volkseie Onderwys) (English: Movement for Christian-National Education) is an educational organisation, committed to providing primary and secondary education (grade 1 through 12) in the Calvinist tradition and Afrikaans language. There are currently 21 directly affiliated schools throughout the Free State, educating approximately 2100 children annually. The schools affiliated with the BCVO are committed to the following principles:
 * 1) Teaching that the Bible is the divinely inspired and infallible Word of God and the highest authority.
 * 2) Teaching conservative, Christian values in a secular world.
 * 3) Teaching the Calvinist-Reformed faith and holding to all its doctrines against heresies.
 * 4) Teaching Afrikaner culture and history, constantly reminding Afrikaner children of their heritage and identity.

Majority of population, though, attends public schools.

Traditionally public universities were divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoretically oriented university degrees; universities of technology ("Technikons"), which offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer both types of qualification. There are 11 public universities in Orange Free State: 5 traditional universities, 4 universities of technology and 2 comprehensive universities. Public institutions are usually Afrikaans medium, although instruction may take place in English as well. There are also a large number of other educational institutions in Free State – some are local campuses of foreign universities and some offer unaccredited or non-accredited diplomas. Both public and private universities and colleges register with the Department of Higher Education and Training and are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (RHO, Raad op Hoger Onderwys). Rankings of universities and business schools in Free State are largely based on international university rankings. Under apartheid, schools for blacks were subject to discrimination through inadequate funding and a separate syllabus called Bantu Education which was only designed to give them sufficient skills interact in Afrikaans and to work as labourers. In 1994 however Free State started reforming its higher education system, merging and incorporating small universities into larger institutions, and renaming all higher education institutions "university" in order to redressing these imbalances. Public expenditure on education was at 9.4 % of the 2002–05 GDP.