National Assembly of South Africa
National Assembly show
List | |
---|---|
27th Parliament | |
Type | |
Type | Lower house of the Parliament of South Africa |
Leadership | |
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, ANC since 19 August 2021 | |
Deputy Speaker | Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli, ANC since 21 May 2014 |
Leader of Government Business | David Mabuza, ANC since 27 February 2018 |
Government Chief Whip | |
John Steenhuisen, DA since 27 October 2019 | |
Opposition Chief Whip | Natasha Mazzone, DA since 31 October 2019 |
Structure | |
Seats | 400 |
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Political groups | Government (230)
Official Opposition (84)
Other parties (86) |
Elections | |
Voting system | Party-list proportional representation |
Last election | 8 May 2019 |
Next election | 2024 |
Meeting place | |
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National Assembly Chamber, Houses of Parliament, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa | |
Website | |
National Assembly |
The National Assembly is the of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. It consists of four hundred members who are elected every five years using a party-list proportional representation system where half of the members are elected proportionally from 9 provincial lists and the remaining half from national lists so as to restore proportionality.
The National Assembly is presided over by a Speaker, assisted by a Deputy Speaker. The current Speaker is Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who previously served as the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. She was elected on 19 August 2021.[1] The Deputy Speaker is Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli who has served in the post since his election on 21 May 2014.[2][3]
Allocation[]
The National Assembly seats are allocated using a proportional representation system with closed lists. Seats are first allocated according to the (integer part of the) Droop quota. Thereafter at most five seats are allocated using the largest remainder method (using the Droop quota). Any additional seats are allocated amongst the parties who then already have seats using the highest averages method.
Voters have one vote at elections to the National Assembly. Seats are allocated in ten multi-member constituencies via party lists. One constituency is a national or 'at large' constituency and nine others represent each of the nine provinces. The lists were called the national lists and regional lists in the 2009 election. 'Regional' was used to avoid confusion with the provincial legislature elections held at the same time. Previously they were called 'National to National' and 'Provincial to National'.
Of the 400 members of the National Assembly, half are assigned to be elected from national lists and the remaining half are assigned to be elected from regional lists. Every election, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) determines the allocation of the 200 regional list seats to each province by population.
Parties decide whether they want to set up both national and regional lists or only regional lists. In the 2009 election, the Democratic Alliance (DA) chose not to use a national list. The nationwide votes entitled the DA to 67 seats, but the provincial votes amounted to only 35 seats. While normally the remaining 32 members would be drawn from the party's national list, in this case the remaining seats were distributed among the other DA regional list candidates. This resulted in the National Assembly being made up of 168 members elected on national lists and 232 members elected on regional lists.[citation needed]
History[]
The National Assembly was first elected in South Africa's first non-racial election in 1994 with the African National Congress (ANC) winning 252 of the 400 seats. The National Party (NP), the previous governing party, won 82 seats, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) won 43. Under the terms of the Interim Constitution this result entitled the NP and the IFP to take part in the Government of National Unity alongside the ANC, and gave the ANC and NP the right to each nominate one Deputy President. The other parties represented in the assembly were the Freedom Front (9 seats), the Democratic Party (7 seats), the Pan Africanist Congress (5 seats), and the African Christian Democratic Party (2 seats).
In the election of 1999, the ANC won 266 seats, one short of the two-thirds majority needed to unilaterally amend the constitution. The DP expanded its representation to become the official opposition with 38 seats, while the IFP won 34. The NP, now renamed the New National Party (NNP), dropped to 28 seats, and the newly formed United Democratic Movement (UDM) won 14. Eight smaller parties also obtained seats in the assembly.
In the election of 2004 the ANC obtained 279 seats, gaining a two-thirds majority and the ability to change the constitution. The DP became the Democratic Alliance (DA) and remained the official opposition with 50 seats, while the IFP won 28 seats. The NNP was severely weakened, obtaining only 7 seats; the party was formally disbanded in 2005 with the majority of the party joining the ANC.
In the election of 2009 the ANC lost its two-thirds majority but remained the majority party with 264 seats. The DA increased its support to 67 seats, and the new Congress of the People (COPE) party, a breakaway from the ANC, obtained 30 seats. The IFP was reduced to 18 seats.
In the election of 2014 the ANC lost further seats, but remained the majority party with 249 seats. The DA increased its support to 89 seats, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a far-left breakaway from the ANC, obtained 25 seats. The IFP further reduced to 10 seats while COPE's influence was strongly reduced, only electing three MPs.
In the election of 2019 the ANC lost even more seats, but remained the majority party with a seat total of 230 seats. The Official Opposition DA declined from 89 seats to 84 seats. The EFF increased its seat total to 44 seats. The IFP managed to arrest the decline in its support and obtained 14 seats. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) grew to 10 seats, a gain of 6 seats. Nine other parties obtained seats.
The following table shows the party composition of the National Assembly over time:
Event | Date | ANC | DP / DA | NP / NNP | COPE | EFF | IFP | NFP | VF / VF+ | UDM | ACDP | ID | Others |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 election | 27 April 1994 | 252 | 7 | 82 | — | — | 43 | — | 9 | — | 2 | — | 5 |
1999 election | 2 June 1999 | 266 | 38 | 28 | — | — | 34 | — | 3 | 14 | 6 | — | 11 |
2003 floor-crossing | 4 April 2003 | 275 | 46 | 20 | — | — | 31 | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 13 |
2004 election | 14 April 2004 | 279 | 50 | 7 | — | — | 28 | — | 4 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
2005 floor-crossing | 15 September 2005 | 293 | 47 | — | — | — | 23 | — | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
2007 floor-crossing | 15 September 2007 | 297 | 47 | — | — | — | 23 | — | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
2009 election | 22 April 2009 | 264 | 67 | — | 30 | — | 18 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
2014 election | 7 May 2014 | 249 | 89 | — | 3 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | 7 |
2019 election | 8 May 2019 | 230 | 84 | — | 2 | 44 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 4 | — | 10 |
Election results[]
The last election was held on 8 May 2019.
Party | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
African National Congress | 10,026,475 | 57.50 | –4.65 | 230 | –19 | |
Democratic Alliance | 3,622,531 | 20.77 | –1.36 | 84 | –5 | |
Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,882,480 | 10.80 | +4.45 | 44 | +19 | |
Inkatha Freedom Party | 588,839 | 3.38 | +0.98 | 14 | +4 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 414,864 | 2.38 | +1.48 | 10 | +6 | |
African Christian Democratic Party | 146,262 | 0.84 | +0.27 | 4 | +1 | |
United Democratic Movement | 78,030 | 0.45 | –0.55 | 2 | –2 | |
African Transformation Movement | 76,830 | 0.44 | New | 2 | New | |
Good | 70,408 | 0.40 | New | 2 | New | |
National Freedom Party | 61,220 | 0.35 | –1.22 | 2 | –4 | |
African Independent Congress | 48,107 | 0.28 | –0.25 | 2 | –1 | |
Congress of the People | 47,461 | 0.27 | –0.40 | 2 | –1 | |
Pan Africanist Congress | 32,677 | 0.19 | –0.02 | 1 | 0 | |
Al Jama-ah | 31,468 | 0.18 | +0.04 | 1 | +1 | |
African Security Congress | 26,262 | 0.15 | New | 0 | New | |
Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party | 24,439 | 0.14 | New | 0 | New | |
Black First Land First | 19,796 | 0.11 | New | 0 | New | |
African People's Convention | 19,593 | 0.11 | –0.06 | 0 | –1 | |
Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats | 18,834 | 0.11 | New | 0 | New | |
Capitalist Party of South Africa | 15,915 | 0.09 | New | 0 | New | |
Alliance for Transformation for All | 14,266 | 0.08 | New | 0 | New | |
Agang South Africa | 13,856 | 0.08 | –0.20 | 0 | –2 | |
Azanian People's Organisation | 12,823 | 0.07 | –0.04 | 0 | 0 | |
Independent Civic Organisation | 12,386 | 0.07 | –0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Minority Front | 11,961 | 0.07 | –0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
Democratic Liberal Congress | 10,660 | 0.06 | New | 0 | New | |
Better Residents Association | 9,179 | 0.05 | –0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
Forum for Service Delivery | 7,564 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
Front National | 7,144 | 0.04 | +0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Land Party | 7,074 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
African Covenant | 7,019 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
Patriotic Alliance | 6,660 | 0.04 | –0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
African Democratic Change | 6,499 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
Economic Emancipation Forum | 6,321 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
Women Forward | 6,108 | 0.04 | New | 0 | New | |
Christian Political Movement | 4,980 | 0.03 | New | 0 | New | |
African Content Movement | 4,841 | 0.03 | New | 0 | New | |
International Revelation Congress | 4,247 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
National People's Front | 4,019 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
African Renaissance Unity Party | 3,860 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
African Congress of Democrats | 3,768 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
South African National Congress of Traditional Authorities | 3,714 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
Compatriots of South Africa | 3,406 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
People's Revolutionary Movement | 2,844 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
Power of Africans Unity | 2,685 | 0.02 | New | 0 | New | |
Free Democrats | 2,580 | 0.01 | New | 0 | New | |
South African Maintenance and Estate Beneficiaries Association | 2,445 | 0.01 | New | 0 | New | |
National People's Ambassadors | 1,979 | 0.01 | New | 0 | New | |
Total | 17,437,379 | 100.00 | – | 400 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 17,437,379 | 98.67 | ||||
Invalid/blank votes | 235,472 | 1.33 | ||||
Total votes | 17,672,851 | 100.00 | ||||
Registered voters/turnout | 26,756,649 | 66.05 | ||||
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa |
Current composition[]
Party | Seats | % | |
---|---|---|---|
ANC | 230 | 57.5 | |
Democratic Alliance | 84 | 21 | |
EFF | 44 | 11 | |
IFP | 14 | 3.5 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 10 | 2.5 | |
ACDP | 4 | 1 | |
UDM | 2 | 0.5 | |
African Transformation Movement | 2 | 0.5 | |
Good | 2 | 0.5 | |
NFP | 2 | 0.5 | |
COPE | 2 | 0.5 | |
African Independent Congress | 2 | 0.5 | |
PAC | 1 | 0.25 | |
Al Jama-ah | 1 | 0.25 | |
Total | 400 | 100.00 |
Salaries of Members of the National Assembly[]
Annual monetary remuneration[]
As of 2019, the highest earning members of the National Assembly are the Speaker of the National Assembly and the deputy president of the Republic of South Africa, who is the head of the executive government's representatives in the National Assembly. They each earn an annual salary of R2,825,470.[4][5]
The second highest earning members of the National Assembly are Members of Parliament (MP) who are also cabinet ministers. They earn an annual salary of R2,401,633
The Deputy Speaker earns an annual salary of R1,977,795. This is also the salary of deputy cabinet ministers.[4][5]
Senior MPs, such as the leader of the opposition and chief whips of each party, earn an annual salary of R1,600,467.[4][5]
MPs who chair committees earn an annual salary of R1,405,015.[4]
Leaders of minority parties earn R1,309,563.[4][5]
Regular MPs earn R1,106,940.[4][5]
Other benefits[]
- 88 domestic journeys per year which can either be by air, train, bus or vehicle.
- Transport to and from South African airports.
- Parking at South African airports.
- Transport of dependents.
- Relocation costs.
- “Tools of trade”, which include mobile phones, tablets and laptops.
- Equipment, furniture and stationery for MPs’ offices inside the national assembly.
- Personal accident insurance.
- Accommodation at the parliamentary villages in Cape Town.
- Daily transport to and from the villages to parliament.
According to Business Insider South Africa, SA MPs are in the top 1% earning bracket in the nation.[6] The lowest earning MP earns a monthly salary of around R92,245.[5][4] This salary comes while the average South African earned a monthly salary of around R21,432, as of September 2019[7] and the minimum wage was just R20 per hour.[8]
References[]
- ^ Felix, Jason (19 August 2021). "Axed defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is the new National Assembly Speaker". News24. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ Thandi Modise elected National Assembly Speaker. Retrieved on 22 May 2019
- ^ Thandi Modise elected National Assembly Speaker, Tsenoli returns as her deputy. Retrieved on 22 May 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Grant, Africa Check, Researched by Laura. "How much do South African MPs earn?". The Citizen. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "How much do South African members of parliament earn?". Africa Check. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Cellphones, R1-million salaries, free flights and airport parking - these are some of the perks awaiting new MPs". BusinessInsider. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ Staff Writer. "This is the average salary in South Africa right now". Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Employment and Labour on new National Minimum Wage rate | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
External links[]
- National lower houses
- Parliament of South Africa