Parliament of South Africa

Parliament of South Africa
Name	Parliament of South Africa
Legislature	27th Parliament
House type	Bicameral
Houses	National Assembly, National Council of Provinces
Leader1 type	Speaker of the National Assembly
Leader1	Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Election1	19 August 2021
Leader2 type	Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces
Leader2	Amos Masondo
Election2	22 May 2019
Members	490, 400 National Assembly, 90 National Council of Provinces
House1	National Assembly
House2	National Council of Provinces
Voting house1	Party-list proportional representation
Voting house2	Delegation by provincial legislatures
Meeting place	Houses of Parliament, Cape Town
Website	parliament.gov.za

Parliament of South Africa is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of South Africa, vested with the authority to make laws for the country. It is a bicameral institution, consisting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, and operates under the framework of the 1996 Constitution. The institution plays a central role in representing the people, overseeing the executive, and ensuring accountability in the democratic system established after the end of apartheid.

History

The origins of a formal legislative body in the region trace back to the colonial parliaments of the Cape Colony and the Natal Colony, as well as the republican Volksraad of the South African Republic. Following the Union of South Africa in 1910, a bicameral Parliament was established, consisting of the House of Assembly and the Senate, which was dominated by the white minority under policies of racial segregation. This era culminated in the formalization of apartheid after the National Party's victory in the 1948 election. The first non-racial democratic elections in 1994 led to the adoption of an interim constitution and the formation of the Constitutional Assembly, which drafted the final Constitution of South Africa, fundamentally transforming the institution into its current form.

Composition and structure

The Parliament is composed of two houses. The lower house, the National Assembly, consists of 400 members elected through a party-list proportional representation system for a five-year term. The upper house, the National Council of Provinces, represents provincial interests with 90 delegates, ten from each of the nine provinces, appointed by their respective provincial legislatures. The Speaker presides over the National Assembly, while the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces leads the upper house. Key internal structures include various portfolio committees and select committees which scrutinize legislation and conduct oversight.

Functions and powers

Its primary function is to pass national legislation, which can originate in either house but must typically be approved by both. It holds the exclusive power to amend the Constitution of South Africa, subject to stringent procedural requirements. The institution is vested with the authority to appropriate funds from the National Treasury through the Appropriation bill, and it exercises oversight over the executive and state organs through mechanisms like questions, debates, and committee inquiries. It also plays a role in international affairs by ratifying treaties and can establish commissions of inquiry.

Role in government

Operating within a parliamentary system, it elects the President of South Africa from among its members in the National Assembly. The President, in turn, appoints the Cabinet of South Africa, which is collectively accountable to the legislature. This relationship ensures a system of checks and balances, where the executive is dependent on the confidence of the assembly. The institution also interacts with the judiciary, particularly the Constitutional Court of South Africa, which has the power to review the constitutionality of its acts.

Buildings and precinct

The seat is located in Cape Town, the legislative capital, within the Houses of Parliament complex. This historic complex, overlooking Company's Garden, consists of three main sections: the original building completed in 1884, the later additions, and the modern National Assembly wing constructed in the 1980s. The precinct also includes ancillary offices such as the 90 Plein Street building. The location in Cape Town maintains the separation from the administrative capital, Pretoria, a arrangement dating from the Union of South Africa.

Current membership and leadership

Following the 2019 general election, the African National Congress holds a majority in the National Assembly, with the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters as the main opposition parties. The current Speaker is Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces is Amos Masondo. The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, was elected by the assembly and leads the Cabinet of South Africa. The composition of the National Council of Provinces reflects the political makeup of the nine provincial legislatures.

Category:National legislatures Category:Bicameral legislatures Category:Politics of South Africa