South Africa House
Encyclopedia
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is the diplomatic mission from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is located at South Africa House, a building on Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As well as containing the offices of the High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
, the building also hosts the South African consulate.
History
South Africa House was built by Holland, Hannen & CubittsHolland, Hannen & Cubitts
Holland, Hannen & Cubitts was a major building firm responsible for many of the great buildings of London.-History:It was formed from the fusion of two well-established building houses that had competed throughout the later decades of the nineteenth century but came together in 1883: this was...
in the 1930s on the site of a derelict hotel. The building was designed by Sir Herbert Baker
Herbert Baker
Sir Herbert Baker was a British architect.Baker was the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, 1892–1912....
, with architectural sculpture by Coert Steynberg
Coert Steynberg
Coert Steynberg Sculpting the Dias statue, 1933Birth nameCoert Laurens SteynbergBorn7 January 1905 Hennops River, South AfricaDied28 July 1982 PretoriaNationalitySouth AfricanFieldsculpture, drawingTrainingRhodes UniversityRoyal College of ArtMovementModernismWorksMonuments, Statues, Coin...
and Sir Charles Wheeler
Charles Wheeler (sculptor)
Sir Charles Thomas Wheeler KCVO RA was a British sculptor, and the first sculptor to hold the Presidency of the Royal Academy ....
, and opened in 1933. The building was acquired by the government of South Africa as its main diplomatic presence in the UK. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Prime Minister Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
lived there while conducting South Africa's war plans.
In 1961, South Africa became a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, and withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
due to its policy of racial segregation. Accordingly the building became an embassy, rather than a High Commission. During the 1980s, the building, which was the only South African diplomatic building in a public area, was targeted by protestors from around the world. During the 1990 Poll Tax Riots
Poll Tax Riots
The UK Poll Tax Riots were a series of mass disturbances, or riots, in British towns and cities during protests against the Community Charge , introduced by the Conservative government led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher...
, the building was set alight by rioters, although not seriously damaged.
The first democratic elections
South African general election, 1994
The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
in South Africa were held on the 27 April 1994, and on 31 May of that year, the country rejoined the Commonwealth, 33 years to the day after it withdrew on becoming a republic. Along with country's diplomatic missions in other Commonwealth countries, the mission once again became a High Commission.
Today, South Africa House is no longer a controversial site, and is the focal point of South African culture in the UK. In 2001, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
appeared on the balcony of South Africa House to mark the seventh anniversary of Freedom Day
Freedom Day (South Africa)
Freedom Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on April 27. It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994...
, when the system of Apartheid ended.