Dangers & Annoyances
While Cape Town is one of Africa's more relaxed cities, it's by no means a place to throw caution to the wind. If you do get blown in the way of the Cape Flats make sure you have a trustworthy guide leading you. There have been reports of hoodlums stoning cars on the N2 near the airport; never stop here if possible. Most busy areas (including all tourist sites) are basically safe during day and night business hours - just keep abreast of local advice. Environmental hazards include strong rips at the beach, sudden temperature changes and ticks in the mountains.
Visas Overview
Entry permits are issued free on arrival (at the airport and land crossings) to visitors on holiday from many Commonwealth and most western European countries, as well as Japan and the US. If you aren't entitled to an entry permit, you'll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. It's much less hassle when arriving by air if you arrive with a return air-ticket.
Modern History
The twentieth century started with South Africa at war with itself. British imperialist Cecil Rhodes stirred up rebellious sentiment among English-speaking minorities in the Transvaal, which led to the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War. Thousands of Afrikaner women and children died in the world's first concentration camps en route to the British victory.In 1910 the Union of South Africa was created, giving political control to the whites. Inevitably, this prompted black resistance and white political organisations such as the Afrikaner National Party were formed. In 1948 the ANP won the election on a platform of apartheid (literally: 'the state of being apart'). The suppression of black resistance included such atrocities as the Sharpeville massacre of 1960, the shooting of school children in Soweto in 1976, the forced evacuation and bulldozing of squatter settlements and the systematic torture and murder of political activists such as Steve Biko.
One of the most important organisations to oppose the racist South African state was the African National Congress (ANC). In the early 1960s, many ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela, were arrested for treason and imprisoned for long periods. Apartheid was entrenched even further in the early 1970s by the creation of the so-called Black Homelands. These were, in theory, 'independent' countries, but their creation led to all blacks being deemed foreign guest-workers without political rights. Any black person without a required residence pass could be 'deported' back to a Homeland.
Meanwhile, South Africa was becoming more isolated after successful black liberation struggles in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, all of which brought Marxist-leaning governments to power. The international community finally began to oppose the apartheid regime, and the UN imposed economic and political sanctions. After the 1989 elections, the new president FW de Klerk instituted a programme that was aimed at dismantling the apartheid system and instituting genuine democracy. The release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, on 11 February 1990; the repeal of the Group Areas Act; and the signing of a peace accord with the ANC and other opposition groups all opened the way for difficult negotiations about how South Africa could become a country that permitted majority rule.At midnight on 26-27 April 1994, Die Stem (the old national anthem) was sung and the old flag was lowered. A new rainbow flag was raised and the new anthem, Nkosi Sikelele Afrika (God Bless Africa) was sung. Under apartheid, people had been jailed for singing this beautiful hymn. In the first truly democratic election in the country's history, the ANC won 62.7% of the vote, less than the 66.7% that would have enabled it to rewrite the constitution. The National Party won 20.4% of the vote, enough to guarantee it representation in cabinet. In Western Cape, though, the majority coloured population voted in the National Party as the provincial government, seemingly happier to live with the devil they knew than the ANC. Nelson Mandela was made president of the 'new' South Africa.
The crimes of the apartheid era were exposed by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission (1994-99). This admirable institution was guided by Archbishop Desmond Tutu's dictum: 'Without forgiveness there is no future, but without confession there can be no forgiveness'. Many, many stories of horrific brutality and injustice were heard by the commission, allowing the people some catharsis, and the chance to put the old evils behind them. In 1999, five years after the excitement of the country's first democratic elections, the country voted in a more 'normal' election. There was some speculation that the ANC vote might drop after Mandela's retirement. But the ANC's vote increased to put the party within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution. The National Party lost two-thirds of its seats, losing its official opposition status to the Democratic Party. Thabo Mbeki, who had taken over leadership of the ANC from Mandela, became president in the 1999 elections. Since the general election the NNP and DP have joined together in opposition as the Democratic Alliance. As such, they won control of the Western Cape in the provincial elections and of the city in the metropolitan elections in December 2000.
Recent History
Suspicion and mistrust between the black and coloured communities remains one of the more heartbreaking legacies of apartheid, although the popularity of the local media's 'One City, Many Cultures' programme, launched in 1999, provides some hope for the future. The process of integration and mutual understanding and acceptance is being further assisted by the ongoing restructuring of Cape Town's local government to create six councils, each covering a broad range of communities, rich and poor, black, white and coloured. | 
