 What is a government? Welcome to the Civics Academy governance series. In these videos, we explore different aspects of democratic governance and the concept of the separation of powers as one of the key features of democracy. In this video, we look at the characteristics of government in South Africa. We often hear that the government makes all the decisions or that the government will build schools and hospitals. But do we know what government really means and what it actually is responsible for? Governance is the form or system of rule by which a state or nation is organised and governed. This happens through a system made up of laws and institutions. Government normally consists of the legislature which creates the laws, the executive which implements the laws and the courts or judiciary which interpret and apply the laws. There are many forms of government. In South Africa, we have a democratic form of government. The South African government is made up of a group of representatives that we elect through periodically held elections. We refer to it as a representative government. We explore different aspects of elections and why they are a central feature of democracy in more detail in the Civics Academy election series. Democratic government is further characterised by the separation and balance of powers. Separation of powers means that the democratic political system is divided into the three branches, the legislature, the executive and the courts, also called the judiciary. Chapters 4 and 5 and 8 of our constitution lay out the structure, roles and responsibilities of the three branches of the South African government. The legislature is also known as parliament and consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. It is where laws are debated and passed. The second branch of government, the executive, consists of the president, the deputy president and the cabinet of ministers. It administers and implements the laws of the legislature and the court decisions of the judiciary. The word government often refers to the executive alone as it governs the country and takes care of the day-to-day running of the state. The judiciary is the third branch of the democratic system and is represented by the courts and their staff. It interprets the law, decides disputes and applies the constitution. Democracies are not only characterised by the separation but also by the balance of powers. Balance aims to ensure that no single branch of government has all power. In other words, the separation and balance of powers provides a vital system of checks and balances. The three branches control each other and ensure that power is shared. The main purpose is to prevent the abuse of power. In South Africa, we have three spheres of government, the national, provincial and local spheres of government. Each sphere has its own powers and operates separately. However, the three spheres are interrelated and interdependent and are all equally important to ensuring that the country is well governed. The three spheres of government are entrenched in our constitution in Chapter 3 titled Co-operative Government. We explain the functions of local government in more detail in the Civics Academy Local Government series. While not usually part of government structures, in South Africa, traditional leadership is another institution of governance that plays a role in the lives of many people. The South African Constitution officially recognises in Chapter 12 the institution, status and role of traditional leadership. Act 41 of 2003 also deals with traditional leaders within the country's governance framework. This act outlines the structure, functions and responsibilities of traditional leadership groups and how they work with government. Traditional leaders may carry out an advisory role to government on matters relating to traditional leadership and customary law under the condition of operating within the framework of the Constitution and common law. Governance is a system of rule by which a state is organised and governed. South Africa has a democratic government which is characterised by the separation and balance of powers. The legislature creates and passes state law, the executive implements state law and the judiciary interprets and applies it. South Africa is furthermore a representative democracy which is formed by means of periodically held elections on local, provincial and national level. Elections allow us ordinary citizens to determine who should manage and govern the country and therefore represent our interest.