Ireland–South Africa relations as premature. The Irish embassy opened in Pretoria in 1994. From the early 1960s Ireland vehemently opposed apartheid in South Africa. South African Nelson Mandela, then a dissident, later president, was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1988 while a political prisoner; he collected the award upon his release in 1990. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1994. In November 2003, Brian Cowen, while touring Africa as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, promised South African President Thabo Mbeki that Ireland would highlight African problems when it ascended to the Council Presidency of the European
2016 in South Africa 2016 in South Africa Events that have occurred or will occur in 2016 in South Africa. The incumbent President of South Africa is Jacob Zuma who was first elected in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014. Politically, South Africa has held municipal elections in 2016. The political party with the majority in most municipalities in South Africa is the African National Congress, however, the Democratic Alliance managed to gain the key metros of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth. In international sport, a South African team of 68 athletes competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics. South Africa also hosted the African