The Springbuck or Springbok ( South African spelling), a small swift and graceful gazelle that stands about two and a half feet high, is the national symbol of South Africa. After the demise of apartheid, the ANC government decreed that South African sporting teams were to be known as the Proteas. The rugby team still maintains the name Springboks, however, after the intervention of then-president Nelson Mandela, who did so as a gesture of goodwill. Since then the Springbok has become a symbol of a shared heritage.
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