Many countries around the world have a single capital: except for the Republic of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa has a total of three different capitals. Moreover, these capitals are not so-called capitals, they actively participate in the governance of the country. Different responsibilities related to national governance are undertaken in these capitals.
Let's take a closer look at the details.
Moreover, each of South Africa's three capitals has a distinct role. Pretoria serves as the administrative capital, housing the president, ministries, and government agencies. Cape Town, on the other hand, is home to the parliament and functions as the legislative capital. Bloemfontein houses the Supreme Court of Appeal, taking on the role of the judicial capital.
Interestingly, the country's largest and economically strongest city, Johannesburg, is not one of the capitals. You can think of it like Istanbul, the most populous city in our country, not being our capital. Johannesburg is home to the South African Constitutional Court, but it does not officially take on the role of a capital.
In summary, this situation demonstrates that the country's political power is geographically distributed in a balanced manner.
The reason South Africa has three capitals is due to its complex history. South Africa was established in 1910 as a result of the unification of various colonies. At that time, it was impossible to agree on a single capital. The decision to divide power was made considering the balance of interests between the English, the Boers, and the Africans.
Furthermore, this country has 12 different official languages. This diversity is believed to represent the 'unity of a multicultural nation.'