The flag of South Africa from 1928 to 1994 was originally used by the Union of South Africa from 1928 to 1961 and later the Republic of South Africa until 1994. The yellow, black and green are taken from the African National Congress (ANC) flag. This month, we feature South Africa. Do you know that Flags were first brought to South Africa by the European explorers trying to find a sea route from Europe to India and the Far East? [15] The flag was well received by most South Africans, though a small minority objected to it; hundreds of Afrikaner Volksfront members in Bloemfontein burned the flag in protest a few weeks before the April 1994 elections. These rules apply only to official flag stations and not to the general public. Green means green grass. Education And Crime: South Africa Facts. The red, white and blue colors were taken from the colors of the Boer Republics. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. Red means love. Who Designed South African Flag – Frederick Brownell. The South African flag must always be hoisted first and lowered last. With that system, the government, controlled … The new national flag was hoisted to replace the flag that had been used since 1928. Individual colours, or colour combinations have different meanings for different people and therefore no universal symbolism should be attached to any of the colours. [11], The proclamation of the new national flag by South African President F. W. de Klerk was only published on 20 April 1994,[3] a mere seven days before the flag was to be inaugurated, sparking a frantic last-minute flurry for flag manufacturers. Education And Crime: South Africa Facts. So much has changed about TV licences in South Africa from the times when you were only obligated to pay for only actual TV... TV and its regulations have continued to experience drastic changes over the years. External links. The colours themselves have no essential meaning.[1]:18. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 2 to 3.The two major European populations in South Africa, When the flag is to be flown at half-mast, it must first be raised to the top of the mast and then slowly lowered to half-mast. Yellow means sun. Colors of the Flag. Thank you. From 1996 until around 2003, the flag featured a silhouette of Table Mountain. Following a referendum the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, but the design of the flag remained unchanged. The used colors in the flag are blue, green, red, yellow, white, black. Green represents the fertility of the land and also love, hope, and joy for the land. Years back, a Pretoria-based publishing house called for the public to suggest a nickname for the South African flag. The South African staple food for the locals is 'mealies', which is corn, and seasonal vegetables, like potatoes, beans, carrots and peas. 7. As a direct influence of Madiba, the horizontal Y shape in the flag represents the unity in diversity concept of the country. Until 1957, the flag was flown subordinate to the British Union Jack. The design and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country's flag history. In this arrangement, each of the miniature flags enjoy equal precedence. Select Options . Six designs were drawn up and presented to the public and the Negotiating Council, but none elicited enthusiastic support. 3. It brings to mind the beginning of South Africa’s political transformation into a democratic government and the end of Apartheid regime. The first use of the current flag design was in 1994. The only symbolism in the flag is the V or Y shape, which can be interpreted as "the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity".[2]. The world’s largest visible crateris in South Africa. When the name of Nelson Mandela is mentioned to the bigger part of the world, what comes to mind is a South African hero... Art festivals, annual Oyster festivals, surfing, camping, and diving, is there anything you can’t do in Knysna, South Africa? At the time of its adoption, it was the only national flag in the world to contain six colours as part of its primary design. That it symbolizes the convergence of the disparate groups within South African society and their unification in one democratic state. White represents the white population of South Africa, honesty, and peace. The stripes at the fly end are in the 5:1:3:1:5 ratio. The left side of the flag has a black triangle outlined in yellow. The design was based on the so-called Van Riebeeck flag or "Prince's Flag" (Prinsenvlag in Afrikaans) that was originally the Dutch flag; it consisted of orange, white, and blue horizontal stripes. de Klerk, who proclaimed the new flag on 20 April 1994,[3] stated in his autobiography, The Last Trek: a New Beginning, that chilli red was chosen instead of plain red (which Anglo-Africans would have preferred) or orange (as Afrikaners would have preferred). It features prominently in the flags of the liberation movements, particularly the African National Congress (ANC) which was Mandela’s political party, the Pan-African Congress (PAC) and Inkatha. Adopted on April 27, 1994, the flag of South Africa was designed to symbolize unity. These flags never enjoyed much popular support due to the animosities lingering after the Anglo-Boer War - the Afrikaner descendants of the Dutch settlers from the former Boer Republics saw it as a British flag, and the English-speakers saw it was not the Union Flag alone.[7][8]. The Marikana Massacre is one of two of South Africa's most gruesome cases of its police using lethal force on civilians. This guide has no official authority but was drawn up with generally accepted vexillological etiquette and principles in mind.[17]. Some Facts about South Africa. A number of design studios were then contacted to submit further proposals, but these also did not find favour. Frederick matriculated from St. Andrew’s School in Bloemfontein in 1957 and was 54 years of age when he designed the flag. In February 1994, Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer, the chief negotiators of the African National Congress and the National Party government of the day respectively, were given the task of resolving the flag issue. Die Southern African Vexillological Association (SAVA), eine inoffizielle Vereinigung zur Flaggenkunde, veröffentlichte 2002 ihre eigene Anleitung für einen korrekten Gebrauch der Flagge. South Africa Facts for Kids. A further element of this compromise was that the British Union Flag would continue to fly alongside the new South African national flag over official buildings. 1. When a nationwide public competition was held in 1993, the National Symbols Commission received more than 7,000 designs. The South African flag is to be displayed horizontally with the black triangle to the left and the red band on the top or vertically (rotated 90 degrees and reversed) with the black triangle at the top and the red band to the left. South Africa is a member of the United Nations. 10 famous and powerful African kingdoms The South African National Flag comprises of two horizontally placed stripes. If you’re looking for facts about South Africa, it might also be interesting to know which are the biggest cities. This flag was adopted in 1994. [10], The present South African national flag was first flown on 27 April 1994,[11] the day of the 1994 election. See Also: Reed Dance In South Africa: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Exotic Dance. Three of the flag's colours were taken from the Flag of the South African Republic and the Union Jack, while the remaining three colours were taken from the flag of the African National Congress. Learn some interesting information about South Africa while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! 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