South Africa official publications

Government website: http://www.gov.za/

Site includes an overview of economic and social conditions in South Africa based on the current South Africa yearbook, speeches and policy statements on key political issues, and links to departmental and agency websites. There is also an archive of documents including legislative materials (bills, acts and regulations), white and green papers and current consultative documents.

Unwembi's List: http://www.polity.org.za/polity/lists/govsites.html

Privately maintained alphabetical list of South African government websites.

The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 by the merger of Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State as a self-governing dominion under the British Crown. Parliament consisted of a Senate and a House of Assembly.

The Senate was abolished in 1980 and the legislature became unicameral until a new constitution, approved in a referendum by white voters in 1983 and in force from Sept. 3rd 1984, created a three-part Parliament consisting of a House of Assembly for Whites, a House of Representatives for the Coloureds and a House of Delegates for the Indians. Africans were without representation.

Following the dismantling of Apartheid, an interim constitution came into force on 27th April 1994. Under it the National Assembly and the Senate formed a Constitutional Assembly with the task of drafting a definitive Constitution. This came into force on 4th February 1997. Under the present constitution Parliament consists of a National Assembly and a new National Council of Provinces which replaced the Senate as the upper house.

Acts - South Africa

CSD.244/4

Holdings: 1910-1967. Copies of individual Acts. Incomplete but see Statutes.

Text in English and Afrikaans. Full text of nearly all Acts from 1993 is available on the Parliament web site. Follow the link under Acts on the home page. After publication in the government gazette, acts are only republished commercially.

Annual economic report - South African Reserve Bank

P.P.8000.be

Holdings: 1961-1981. [Incomplete.]

The report gives a survey of the economy of the country. There are sections on domestic economic developments, foreign trade and payments, monetary developments and interest rates, financial markets and public finance. Reports from 1996 are available in full text at the Bank's website at http://www.resbank.co.za/

Bills

CSD.252/7

Holdings: 1958-1981. Mostly unbound parts [Incomplete.]

Text in English and Afrikaans. Full text of bills from 1999 is available at the Parliament website. Follow the link under Bills from the home page.

Budget review

CSD.298/378

Holdings: 1998; 2001-

Budget documentation (including speeches and reviews) from 1997 is also available online at the National Treasury website at http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/default.aspx.

Budget speech

CSD.211/35 1962/63; 1983/84

CSD.298/376 1998; 2001

Bulletin of Statistics

CSD.257/40

Holdings: Vol.1, 1967- vol. 21, 1987

Published quarterly in Afrikaans and English. Compilation covering population, tourism, migration, employment, production and consumer prices, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, foreign trade, public finance, transport and national accounts. Issues from 2001 are available on the Statistics South Africa website at
http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/statspastfuture.asp?PPN=Bulletin&SCH=4063

Debates of the Senate

CSD.251

Holdings: 1910/11-1980. Bound volumes.

Debates of the House of Assembly

CSD.252

Holdings: 1910/11-1987. Bound volumes.

Debates of the National Assembly

CSD.298/341

Holdings: 1994-1996; 1998-

A searchable version of the debates is available from 1999 in full text at the Parliament website at http://www.parliament.gov.za/ . Use Advanced Search to access or follow the Publications link on the home page.

Part continuation of:

Debates of Parliament (Hansard)

OPE.9.x.17

Holdings: No. 8, 1988 - no. 31, 1994. [Incomplete but good holdings.]

Debates of the National Council of Provinces - South Africa

CSD.298/343

Holdings: 1998-

A searchable version of the debates is available from 1999 in full text at the Parliament website at http://www.parliament.gov.za/ . Use Advanced Search to access or follow the Publications link on the home page.

Demographic statistics

CSD.298/369

Holdings: 1993; 1995

Economic Development Programme

CSD.212/45

Holdings: 1964/69-1966/71; 1968/73; 1970/75; 1972/77; 1974/79; 1976/81

Estimates of national expenditure - South Africa. National Treasury

CSD.298/377

Holdings: 2001-

Focus on South Africa

CSD.298/293

Holdings: 1988-1993

Ceased publication. Contains articles on politics, economy, tourism, music, television, education, foreign policy, books, medicine, agriculture, sports, and business.

Foreign trade statistics - South Africa. Statistics South Africa

CSD.236

Holdings: 1956 -1998 [1986-1991 missing]. Ceased publication.

Continuation of:

Annual statement of the trade and shipping of ...

CSD.236

Holdings: 1906-1955

Text in Afrikaans and English.

Government gazette= Staatskoerant - South Africa

OGS.250/8

Holdings: 1961-

[Mainly bound volumes up to 1978. Unbound parts thereafter. Mainly good holdings but few parts held for 1983-1988.]

Continuation of:

Union of South Africa government gazette

OGS.250

Holdings: 1922-1961. Bound volumes.

Text in Afrikaans and English. Includes laws, regulations, notices, green and white papers and an index.

Joint sittings of both houses of Parliament [Debates]

Joint sittings of both houses of Parliament [Minutes]

CSD.298/362

Holdings: 1999-2002

Minutes of proceedings of extended public committees - National Assembly

CSD.298/364

Holdings: 1999.

Minutes of proceedings of the National Assembly

CSD.298/361

Holdings: 1999-2002.

Minutes of proceedings of the House of Assembly

CSD.298/237

Holdings: 1964-1981

Describes what was done in the House as opposed to what was said. Includes annual indexes.

Continuation of:

Minutes and proceedings of the House of Assembly

CSD.239/11

Holdings: 1961-1963

Continuation of:

Votes and proceedings of the House of Assembly

CSD.239/11

Holdings: 1910/11-1961

Minutes of proceedings of the National Council of Provinces

CSD.298/367

Holdings: 1999-2002.

Records what was done in the Council as opposed to what was said.

Minutes of proceedings of the Senate

CSD.239/13

Holdings: 1910/11-1954

Records what was done in the Senate as opposed to what was said. 1910/11 and 1912 volumes contain the full text of Acts. Includes Sessional Committee reports from 1918. Includes annual index.

Order papers - National Assembly

CSD.298/363

Holdings: 1999-2002.

These are the agendas of the National Assembly

Order papers - National Council of Provinces

CSD.298/365

Holdings: 1999-2002.

These are the agendas of the National Council of Provinces.

Population census

Data from Census 1996 and Census 2001 are available on the Statistics South Africa website at http://www.statssa.gov.za/

Printed annexures to votes and proceedings of the House of Assembly

CSD.239/11

Holdings: 1910/11-1964

Compilation of papers and reports presented to Parliament.

Questions and replies of the National Assembly

CSD.298/342

Holdings: 2000-

Continuation of:

Interpellations, questions and replies of the National Assembly

CSD.298/342

Holdings: 1998-2000

Questions and replies of the National Council of Provinces

CSD.298/344

Holdings: 1998-

Question papers - National Assembly

CSD.298/368

Holdings: 2000-2002

List of questions for oral reply. Question Papers from 1999 onwards are available on the Parliament website at http://www.parliament.gov.za . Follow the link under Parliamentary Papers on the home page.

Question papers - National Council of Provinces

CSD.298/366

Holdings: 1999-2002.

List of questions for oral reply. Question Papers from 1999 onwards are available on the Parliament website at http://www.parliament.gov.za . Follow the link under Parliamentary Papers on the home page.

Report of the Auditor General (formerly Report of the Controller and Auditor-General)

CSD.211/3

Holdings: 1940/41-1983/84

Text in English and Afrikaans. The report comprises a general report, finance and revenue statements, reports on the votes and fixed statutory appropriations and the State Revenue Accounts and statements and reports relating to various funds and accounts. Reports on the Votes (from 1998) and other accounts are available at the Auditor-General's website at http://www.agsa.co.za/ . Follow the link under Reports from the home page.

Reports from Sessional and Select Committees - Senate

CSD.239/12

Holdings: 1910/1911-1980

Reports of Select Committees - South Africa. Parliament

CSD.250

Holdings: 1910/11-1982

Text in English and Afrikaans. Each report of is on a different topic like public accounts, native affairs etc. For 1910 to 1940, most sessional papers are printed either in the Printed annexures to the votes and proceedings of the House of Assembly or in the Reports of Select Committees.

South Africa yearbook

Current issue: OPL.968.0025

Earlier issues: CSD. 275/13

Holdings: 1994; 1997-98; 2001/02-. The yearbook is available on the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) website from the 2001/02 edition at http://www.gcis.gov.za/content/resourcecentre/sa-info/yearbook.

Continuation of:

South Africa - official yearbook

CSD.275/13

Holdings 1974-1987/88; 1991/92

Presents an overview of the economic and social conditions of South Africa, together with information on natural resources, government, education, healthcare and administration of justice.

Continuation of:

Official year book of the Union ...

CSD.257/5

Holdings: 1916-1960

South African Statistics

Current issue: OPL. 968.00212

Earlier issues: CSD.257/201

Holdings: 1968-1986; 1994-95; 2000-

Text in Afrikaans and English. This is the main statistical compilation covering all facets of national life. The Statistics South Africa website at http://www.statssa.gov.za gives access to a wide range of current and archival statistical reports, releases and publications on many aspects of South African social and economic life. Time series data are also available free, but registration is required.

Statistical release - South Africa. Statistics South Africa

CSD.206/16

Holdings: 1961-2001 [Incomplete.]

Subsequent Statistical releases are available on the Statistics South Africa website. Follow the Releases link from the home page at http://www.statssa.gov.za.

Statistics in brief

CSD.298/327

Holdings: 1996-

A brief compilation of statistics on demography, housing, labour, health and welfare, mining, education, energy, construction, transport, national accounts, government finance and prices.

Statutes of the Republic of South Africa

A CD-ROM version is available in the Social Sciences Reading Room.

Treaty series - South Africa

CSD.268

Holdings: 1926-1990

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to help deal with human rights abuses under apartheid. The website includes full text transcripts of amnesty hearings and decisions, human rights violations hearings and some victim submissions, and transcripts of special hearings. Printed transcripts are held at the University of Cambridge Library.

URL: http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/index.html

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