Republic of South Africa, 1994

The National Party government started dismantling the policy of racial discrimination in 1990; it lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations and released Nelson Mandela after his 27 years in prison. A referendum followed two years later to negotiate an end to apartheid. In 1994 South Africa held its first universal election; the African National Congress (ANC) won by a landslide, and Nelson Mandela became President of a new South Africa on 27 April 1994. The new flag, adopted that day, combined the colours red, white and blue from both the former Boer republics and the British Union Jack with the black, green and gold of the African National Congress (ANC) and other black African organisations. The overall design conveys the convergence and unification of black and white people.