An Independent South Africa

            South Africa walked a long road to reach its independence. Centuries of being under the rule of someone else, they finally received the opportunity to decolonize themselves. July 4, 1776 forever marks the beginning of the United States of America, and May 31, 1961 will forever mark the beginning of the Republic of South Africa.

            As before mentioned, South Africa received complete independence from British rule in 1961. The State of Union Act of 1934 granted South Africa the right of sovereignty within the British Empire but in 1961 they became a republic. Their republic status came about because of the National Party, a political party who ruled the state from 1948 to 1994. The National party issued the republic status as a way to unite whites and consolidate their program of apartheid, a system of tightened segregation and discrimination. As a free country, South Africa is a member of the United Nations and BRICS, an economic coalition made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. South Africa was also the host of the World Cup in 2010. South Africa has thrived in their 50 short years of independence.