A State with a hegemonic political party is one in which there is only one dominant party. In this system, one party is firmly established in office. The party has hegemony, that is, it enjoys unchallenged authority. The law does not operate formally against any opposition, but clearly the state concerned is effectively single-party for longer period of many years. For example, South Africa was an example of a hegemonic party. There, the National party came into power in 1948, and it only left when Dr. Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994.