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South Africa COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT SOUTH AFRICA 9 JULY 2010 UK Border Agency SOUTH AFRICA 9 JULY 2010 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 June 2010. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 9 July 2010. Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA, FROM 2 JUNE 2010 TO 9 JULY 2010 REPORTS ON SOUTH AFRICA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 2 JUNE 2010 AND 9 JULY 2010 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................. 2.01 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................... 3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ....................................................................... 4.01 Julius Malema............................................................................... 4.01 The Murder of Eugene Terreblanche.......................................... 4.05 Fifa World Cup.............................................................................. 4.08 Abahlali Basemjondolo (Shack dwellers movement) ............... 4.10 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 Death penalty................................................................................ 7.06 8. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.03 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.04 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.05 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.07 Avenues of complaint ................................................................ 8.08 Witness Protection..................................................................... 8.10 The Witness Protection Units Recent Record ........................... 8.17 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.19 Military Service .......................................................................... 8.21 9. CRIME ................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 10.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 10.05 Independence/fair trial ................................................................. 10.06 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 12.01 13. POLITICAL AFFILIATION........................................................................ 13.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 13.03 14. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 14.01 15. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ............ 15.01 16. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 16.01 17. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 17.01 SOUTH AFRICA 9 JULY 2010 18. ETHNIC GROUPS .................................................................................. 18.01 San or Khoisan ............................................................................. 18.02 19. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS....................... 19.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 19.03 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities ...................... 19.05 Societal treatment and attitudes................................................. 19.07 Violence against Lesbians .......................................................... 19.11 Intersex and Transgender/sexual persons ................................ 19.14 20. DISABILITY .......................................................................................... 20.01 21. WOMEN............................................................................................... 21.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 21.06 Marriage and divorce ................................................................. 21.08 Customary marriages ................................................................ 21.10 Polygamy / Polygny ................................................................... 21.13 Same sex marriages.................................................................. 21.14 Political rights............................................................................... 21.15 Social and economic rights......................................................... 21.20 Contraceptives and abortion...................................................... 21.24 Violence against women.............................................................. 21.27 Societal violence/harassment .................................................... 21.27 Legal and policy measures ........................................................ 21.31 Domestic violence...................................................................... 21.32 Protection against and prosecution of gender based crime....... 21.38 State and non-state assistance ................................................. 21.45 22. CHILDREN ........................................................................................... 22.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 22.01 Basic legal information............................................................... 22.04 Legal Rights.................................................................................. 22.07 Violence against children ............................................................ 22.08 Childcare and protection ............................................................. 22.11 Adoption and Fostering.............................................................. 22.16 Child labour................................................................................ 22.17 Education ...................................................................................... 22.18 Health and welfare........................................................................ 22.20 Documentation ............................................................................. 22.22 23. TRAFFICKING....................................................................................... 23.01 24. MEDICAL ISSUES ................................................................................. 24.01 Publicly funded health care......................................................... 24.02 Medicine availability..................................................................... 24.06 Private health care ....................................................................... 24.08 HIV/AIDS........................................................................................ 24.12 Children ..................................................................................... 24.22 Mental health ................................................................................ 24.25 25. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ..................................................................... 25.01 26. FOREIGN REFUGEES ............................................................................ 26.01 Foreign workers ........................................................................... 26.04 Zimbabweans................................................................................ 26.05 Xenophobic violence ................................................................... 26.07 27. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY ............................................................ 27.01 28. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION ................................................................. 28.01 Birth certificates ........................................................................... 28.01 ID Cards......................................................................................... 28.04 Passports ...................................................................................... 28.09 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 June 2010. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 9 July 2010. 9 JULY 2010 SOUTH AFRICA 29. EXIT AND RETURN ..............................................................................
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