Kings/Queen)
George V (1865-1936) 31.05.1936-20.01.1936
Edward VIII (1894-1972) 20.01.1936-11.12.1936
George VI (1895-1952) 11.12.1936-06.02.1952
Elizabeth II (1926) 06.02.1952-31.05.1961
(Presidents)
Charles Roberts Swarts (1894-1982) 31.05.1961-31.05.1967
Theophilus E. Dönges (1898-1968) 31.05.1967-10.01.1968
Jacob Johannes Fouché (1898-1980) 10.01.1968-10.04.1975
Nicolaas Diederichs (1903-1978) 18.04.1975-21.08.1978
Balthazar Vorster (1915-1983) 04.10.1978-04.06.1979
Marais Viljoen (1915-2007) 19.06.1979-19.06.1984
Pieter Willem Botha (1916-2006) 14.09.1984-14.08.1989
Frederik de Klerk (1936) 15.08.1989-10.05.1994
Nelson Mandela (1918) 10.05.1994-16.06.1999
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (1942) 16.06.1999-
(Prime Ministers until 1984)
Louis Botha (1862-1919) 31.05.1910-27.08.1919
Jan Christiaan Smuts (1870-1950) 03.09.1919-23.06.1924
James Barry Hertzog (1866-1942) 30.06.1924-07.09.1939
Jan Christiaan Smuts (2nd time) 07.09.1939-28.05.1948
Daniel François Malan (1874-1959) 03.06.1948-30.11.1954
Johannes G. Strijdom (1893-1958) 30.11.1954-24.08.1958
Hendrik F. Verwoerd (1901-1966) 02.09.1958-06.09.1966
Baltazar Vorster (1915-1983) 13.09.1966-20.09.1978
Pieter Willem Botha (1916-2006) 28.09.1978-03.09.1984
Origin and colours of the new flag
The strips are
red/orange and blue, the same of the previous flag. The added colours are
the same of African National Congress's flag, which is composed of three
equal horizontal strips: black, green and yellow. Therefore I argue that the
new flag is the merge of the two flags. Apart from strips' colours (orange
and blue instead of red and green), the colour of the second fimbration
(green instead of black) and the absence of a coat in the triangle, the new
South African flag is very similar to Vanuatu's.
C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network), reporting on the election
in South Africa, showed the "interim" flag which will be used for the next
five years; the new parliament will choose a permanent flag. In English
blazon, it is: Tierced in pairle couchy sable, gules and azure, a pairle
couchy vert fimbriated or to dexter and argent to chief and base.
The interim flag for South Africa is said to be composed of the colours of
flags of past administrations. Which is as plausible as anything, since it
includes all the heraldic tinctures.
The current South African flag was designed by Mr Fred Brownell, State
Herald of South Africa. Bruce Berry, 26 Mar 1999
Colour Specifications Album 2000 gives the official (Pantone) and
approximate (CMYK) specifications as follows:
Red: 179c C0-M90-Y90-K0
Green: 3415c C100-M0-Y80-K20
Yellow: 1235c C0-M25-Y80-K0
Blue: Reflex Blue c
C100-M80-Y0-K0
The South African flag pantones are:
Uncoated surfaces: Coated surfaces: Blue: 287u 288c Red: 485u (x2) 485c
Yellow: 116u 1235c Green: 355u 349c Black White
Meaning of the flag
Red for bloodshed Blue of open blue skies Green for the land Black for the
black people White for the European people Yellow for the natural resources
i.e. Gold The Y symbolizes the merging nationalities - i.e unity
The meanings attached to the colors of the South African flag as outlined
above are NOT official, although they are accepted as such in some quarters.
When the new flag was designed it was specifically stated that the colors
had no official meaning and/or symbolism, other than the reason for their
choice arose from their use in the past in flags in this country [i.e. red,
white and blue from the Dutch and English (British) communities and black,
green and gold from the flags of the liberation movements (ANC, Inkhatha,
PAC etc)]. The "pall" (Y) is correctly stated as symbolising the convergence
and going forward as one unified nation of previously disparate groups in
South Africa
