| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 400 seats in the National Assembly 201 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
General elections will be held in South Africa on 29 May 2024 to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province. [1] [2] This will be the seventh general election held under the conditions of universal adult suffrage since the end of the apartheid era in 1994. The new National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will be elected at the first sitting of each provincial legislature. Since the inaugural post-apartheid election in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has continuously achieved a majority in both chambers of the South African Parliament: the National Assembly (lower house) and the National Council of Provinces (upper house).
The date of the elections are set by the incumbent President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and must be within 90 days of the end of the term of the current Parliament. [3] It was announced on 20 February 2024 that the election would be held on 29 May 2024. [4]
In the 2021 South African municipal elections, the African National Congress received less than 50% of the vote for the first time nationwide in any election since the end of apartheid. [5] The party also lost support in the key metros of Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and eThekwini (Durban). The ANC retained control of eThekwini while the Democratic Alliance managed to take control of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni through a majority coalition and a minority coalition respectively, in addition to forming a majority coalition government in Tshwane, which it had governed since 2016. [6]
In early 2023, the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters formed a coalition in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni where the two parties hold MMC positions whilst electing a mayor from a minority party. [7] In April 2023, noting the prospects of an ANC/EFF national coalition, the DA leader John Steenhuisen called for "like-minded" parties to join together to prevent a "doomsday coalition". [8]
Support for the ANC has declined in opinion polls leading to expectations of a hung parliament. [9]
In July 2023, a joint statement by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), the United Independent Movement (UIM) and the Spectrum National Party (SNP) was released announcing a convention on 16 and 17 August proposing a national coalition in the event of a hung parliament. [10] On 17 August 2023 a pre-election agreement called the Multi-Party Charter was signed between the parties as well as the Independent South African National Civic Organisation, with the aim of presenting a united front against the two decade rule of the African National Congress (ANC) party, and the recent rise of the controversial Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party. [11] On 7 October 2023, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) announced it would be joining the charter increasing the charter's seat count from 108 to 112 in the 400 seat National Assembly. [12]
The Spectrum National Party and the Unemployed People's Movement were the two constituent parties of the Multi-Party Charter that failed to meet the Independent Electoral Commission's minimum number of signatures required to contest seats in the National Assembly. [13]
On 16 December 2023, former President Jacob Zuma announced his departure from the ANC, accusing the party and incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa of serving as a “proxy for white monopoly capital.” He also announced establishment of his own political party, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the apartheid-era military wing of the ANC. [14] The latter filed a lawsuit against the MK's registration in the Electoral Commission of South Africa, which was dismissed by the Electoral Court of South Africa on 26 March 2024 due to lack of merit. The ANC also plans to file a lawsuit against the party's naming after the historic MK. [15] According to opinion polling, MK could become the kingmakers after the elections. [16]
On 28 March 2024, the Electoral Commission barred Zuma from standing in the election, citing a previous criminal conviction. [17] MK appealed the ruling, [18] with Zuma's lawyers arguing that the conviction was of a civil nature, and the decision was overturned by the Electoral Court on 9 April, [19] permitting Zuma to stand. [20]
The Electoral Commission announced on 12 April that it would approach the Constitutional Court for clarity on Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution, the provision used to uphold the initial objection against Mr Zuma. [21]
South Africa has a parliamentary system of government. The President of South Africa is unusual among heads of state of countries with a parliamentary system in that the President is also the head of government, with executive powers.
In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled in New Nation Movement NPC v President of the Republic of South Africa that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it did not allow independents to contest national and provincial elections. [22] Since the first elections held under universal suffrage, 400 members elected were elected to the National Assembly by a system of proportional representation with a closed list approach. Two hundred members were elected from national party lists, while the other 200 were elected from provincial party lists in each of the nine provinces. The national list seats were awarded by subtracting seats won at the provincial level from each party's national allocation to generate a maximally proportional result. The Droop quota variant of the largest remainder method was used to allocate seats at both the national and provincial levels. [23] Provincial legislatures were also elected by a system of proportional representation with closed party lists.
In February 2021, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi appointed a ministerial advisory committee led by Valli Moosa to recommend a new electoral system. [24] While the committee was divided, a slim majority of members favoured a hybrid system with half of the seats elected in constituencies and the other half elected through party lists. [25]
On 17 April 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law allowing independent candidates to stand for election to the National Assembly and provincial legislatures while keeping the proportional representation with closed lists. Two hundred members will be elected from national party lists, while the remaining 200 seats will be contested by political parties and independent candidates in each of the nine provinces. In provincial legislatures, the single-tier multimember proportional system will continue to apply with political parties and independent candidates contesting for seats. Voters will receive three ballot papers as opposed to two in previous elections; the first ballot will be to elect the 200 members of the National Assembly only contested by political parties and the second ballot will be to elect the remaining 200 members of the National Assembly which will be contested by political parties and independent candidates in each of the nine provinces while the third ballot will be to elect members of the provincial legislatures with political parties and independent candidates as well. [26]
Following the election, the President of South Africa will be elected by the National Assembly. Although the President is required to be a member of the National Assembly at the time of election, a person that is elected as President must resign their seat in order to assume office. [27] The premiers of each province will also be elected by the respective provincial legislatures after the election. [23]
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) comprises 90 members, ten elected by each of the provincial legislatures in proportion to the composition of the legislature. The NCOP members will be sworn in the day after the first sitting of the National Assembly. [23]
On 26 March 2024, the Independent Electoral Commission published the preliminary candidate lists, listing the following fifty-two parties as having national candidates (as opposed to regional and provincial): [28] #HOPE4SA, Abantu Batho Congress, Able Leadership, Action Alliance Development Party, ActionSA, Africa Africans Reclaim, African Christian Democratic Party, African Congress for Transformation, African Content Movement, African Heart Congress, African Independent Congress, African Movement Congress, African National Congress, African People's Convention, African People's Movement, African Transformation Movement, Al Jama-ah, All Citizens Party, Alliance of Citizens for Change, Allied Movement for Change (AM4C), Azanian People's Organisation, Build One South Africa with Mmusi Maimane, Citizans, Congress of the People, Conservatives in Action, Democratic Alliance, Democratic Liberal Congress, Economic Freedom Fighters, Economic Liberators Forum South Africa, Forum 4 Service Delivery, Free Democrats, GOOD, Independent South African National Civic Organisation, Inkatha Freedom Party, National Coloured Congress, National Freedom Party, Northern Cape Communities Movement, Organic Humanity Movement, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Patriotic Alliance, People's Movement for Change, Referendum Party, Rise Mzansi, Sizwe Ummah Nation, South African Rainbow Alliance, South African Royal Kingdoms Organization, uMkhonto weSizwe, United Africans Transformation, United Democratic Movement, United Independent Movement, Vryheidsfront Plus, and Xiluva.
On 10 April 2024, the Independent Electoral Commission published the final candidate lists, again listing fifty-two parties as having national compensatory candidates (as opposed to national regional and provincial). The Independent South African National Civic Organisation no longer appeared on the list, while the Africa Restoration Alliance was added. [29] Six independent candidates appeared on the national regional lists, namely Zackie Achmat, Louis Liebenberg, Anele Mda, Lovemore N'dou, Ntakadzeni Phathela, and Lehlohonolo Ramoba. [30]
Voter turnout has been decreasing since the end of Apartheid, when 86% of eligible voters turned out. [31]
South Africa has been facing many challenges including deteriorating infrastructure in crucial sectors like power and water, alongside persistently high levels of unemployment and crime. [32] The general public has pointed fingers at Illegal immigration, attributing the nation's woes to their presence. [33] Meanwhile, other voices within the political sphere call for tighter border controls in response to the perceived strain caused by undocumented migrants on public services and resources. [34] [35] [36]
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, known colloquially as the Zondo Commission completed its work and submitted its final report to the President in June 2022. [37] The Commission cost the South African taxpayer "almost R1 billion". [38] Investigator Paul Holden of Shadow World Investigations read into evidence that State capture cost the South African economy at least R49,157,323,233.68 (R49 billion). [39]
In their 2024 election manifesto, the African National Congress claims that, as per the Zondo Commission's recommendations, "laws, institutions and practices are being put in place to reduce the potential for corruption of any sort and on any scale". [40] The Democratic Alliance puts the blame for corruption and State Capture squarely on the shoulders of the ANC, saying that it will "establish a genuinely independent anti-crime and anti-corruption unit by dissolving the Hawks and establishing a new Chapter 9 institution, an Anti-Corruption Commission, which will only be accountable to the Parliament of South Africa." [41] The Economic Freedom Fighters proposes to amend the Constitution to "make the National Prosecuting Authority a Chapter 9 institution accountable to Parliament. [42]
The ANC was also criticized for provisionally including four ministers (Zizi Kodwa, Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo, and Gwede Mantashe) who were implicated in a corruption investigation into the administration of former President Jacob Zuma on 11 March, pending the final results of an intraparty review. Fourteen other officials were either disqualified or not listed as candidates by the ANC over the same issue. [43]
The ANC's proposed amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution of South Africa failed in the Parliament of South Africa, by a vote of 204 MPs in favour, 145 MPs against and 0 abstentions. [44] The bill required a two-thirds majority. The constitutionality of the amendment was also questioned by civil society organisations. [45] [46] The ANC maintains that Expropriation without Compensation is necessary, as does the EFF. [47] The DA and Freedom Front Plus, ACDP and IFP remain opposed to the ANC's renewed attempt at expropriation through the Expropriation Amendment Bill. [48] [49]
Rolling blackouts, or "loadshedding", caused by problems with the state utility Eskom have been occurring since 2007, however the prevalence of blackouts has increased substantially since 2020. [50] There is general dissatisfaction with the ANC's handling of the blackouts, as "a poll from last May found that 24% of voters who had previously backed the ANC planned to take their votes elsewhere if load shedding... is not resolved." That being said, the issue will likely continue to be salient well after the election, as any government, new or incumbent, will have limited tools to combat the issue. [51]
According to the South African Police Service Crime Statistics for Quarter 2 of the 2023-24 financial year, reported contact crimes (defined by SAPS as "crimes against the person") has increased by 3 391 (2.1%) compared to the previous year. [52] Recorded attempted murder illustrated the highest increase year-on-year, with 12.3%. [52] Total contact crimes reported for the quarter are 165,909. The murder rate correlates to 77 people murdered per day. 160 cases of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm are reported each day. [53] In context of the election, political violence is reportedly on the rise, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. [54]
Crime Statistics for Quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year show an increase of 3.8% compared to the previous year. [55] Attempted murder once again illustrated the highest increase year-on-year, with 13%. Total contact crimes reported for the quarter are 190,973. The murder rate correlates to 86 people per day and 88 attempts at murder. Assault with the attempt to do grievous bodily harm (Assault GBH) correlates to 595 incidents per day. [56]
Action Society notes that "if the current murder trend continues, at least 31 000 people will be killed in the next 12 months...the [South African Government] has lost control..." [56]
Over the last term of government, the devolution of policing power has become a key issue between the Western Cape Government and the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele. [57] The Western Cape Government argues that the Minister has the power to devolve policing, but the Minister denies having the power of devolution, saying that "the centralisation of the SAPS [is] in line with the Department [of Police's] constitutional mandate to prevent, combat and investigate crime..." [58] Section 205 of the Constitution of South Africa sets out policing policy in South Africa, noting that the police service "must be structured to function in national [and] provincial...spheres of government." [59] The Constitution gives provincial executives the power to monitor police conduct within their respective provinces, as well as the responsibility for policing functions in three cases; namely Chapter 11 of the Constitution, assigned to provincial government in terms of national legislation and allocated to it in national policing policy. [59]
The lack of adequate housing has been a major issue. [60] According to a report from Parliament, dated May 2022, the human settlements sector had a total of 3.4 million housing units built since 1994. The respective provinces and municipalities delivered a separate 1.3 million "serviced sites". [61] A parliamentary question to the Minister of Human Settlements revealed there were 2,456,773 households registered on the National Housing Needs Register as of February 2023. [62] In the City of Cape Town, there were 375,150 on the municipalities' Housing Needs Register. [63]
In a Parliamentary question to the Minister of Human Settlements, the Department revealed that it had 245,587 houses built since 1 January 2019. [64]
The ANC has practised a policy of employing people who are loyal to the ANC to positions within institutions of government. The Zondo Commission has found that cadre deployment played a significant part in corruption and went as far as to say that it is "illegal and unconstitutional". [65]
On 12 February 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that the ANC had five days to hand over their cadre deployment records to the Democratic Alliance dating back to 1 January 2013. [66] Documents released by the DA so far contain a sworn affidavit from Thapelo Masilela, a Strategic Support Manager in the Office of the ANC Deputy Secretary General's Office which states that a laptop containing information in relation to the Deployment Committee had "crashed and...data which was stored on that hard drive had been lost". [67] DA Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen responded in a press briefing on 23 February 2024 saying "the missing laptops, the missing minutes, President's Cyril Ramaphosa WhatsApp's from his own personal devices are simply incongruent with the way in which the modern world works." [68] showing that the party does not believe that the ANC has entirely complied with the order of the Constitutional Court.
Cyril Ramaphosa said that South Africa v. Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may lead to foreign interference in the general election. [69] [70]
South Africa's links to Russia and China, through military co-operation [71] and potential co-operation with Iran [72] has placed the country in danger of losing its preferential access to the U.S. market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, with multiple members of the U.S. Congress raising concern with South Africa's alleged threats to U.S. interests, the most high-ranking member being Senator Jim Risch, the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. [73] [72] In response, the Leader of the Opposition, John Steenhuisen led a delegation arguing that "the ANC is not South Africa" in an effort to lessen the risk of a possible removal from AGOA. [73] Later, the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde and a Western Cape Government delegation also made a trip to the United States to detail the possible impact that a loss would have on the agricultural industry in the province. [74] The Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Cameron Dugmore (ANC) accused the provincial government of wasting taxpayer's money, saying "this trip was about the DA’s desperation to secure support for the 2024 elections by creating a certain narrative about this matter". [75]
Various parties and organisations proposing Cape independence have existed since 2007 and proponents claim that the idea has been gaining more traction in recent years. [76] [ additional citation(s) needed ] A poll published by the Cape Independence Party in August 2023 found that 68% of an unverified group of voters in the Western Cape, and 79% of self identified DA voters in the Western Cape, are in favour of holding a referendum on Cape independence. [77]
The Referendum Party was formed in November 2023 as a single-issue political party contesting in the 2024 general election to pressure the Western Cape Democratic Alliance government into holding a referendum on Western Cape independence as part of any potential coalition agreement. [78]
The Cape Independence Party, which had contested in 2009 and 2019, did not make it on to the national ballot or the Western Cape provincial ballot. The Referendum Party made it on to both ballots. [79] [80]
Gauteng is the most populated province and is the de facto economic hub of South Africa. In 2019 the ANC barely retained the province, getting 50.19% of the vote. The DA is hoping to win Gauteng with Solly Msimanga as their premier candidate. [81] Funzi Ngobeni is ActionSA's premier candidate. [82] While ANC's candidate is current premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
KwaZulu-Natal is the second most populated province and is home to the busiest port in southern Africa. Recent polling has the new MK Party leading in the province, having grown substantially at the expense of ANC support. Christopher Pappas is the premier candidate for the DA while Thami Ntuli is the IFP's candidate. [83] [84] The ANC's premier candidate is Sbongiseni Duma.
As of April 2024, the Western Cape is the only province not to be controlled by the ANC. The DA, which has controlled the province since 2009, is looking to retain the province with Premier Alan Winde as their premier candidate. [85]
Polling Organisation | Fieldwork Date | Sample Size | ANC | DA | MK | EFF | IFP | VF+ | ACDP | ActionSA | Others | Don't Know [lower-alpha 1] | Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Social Research Foundation | April 2024 | 1,835 | 37% | 25% | 13% | 11% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% | — | 12pp |
Brenthurst Foundation/SABI | 12–28 February 2024 | 1,506 | 39% | 27% | 13% | 10% | 2% | — | — | 2% | 5% | — | 12pp |
ENCA/Markdata | 19 January – 14 February 2024 | 3,022 | 41.4% | 20% | 10.9% | 15.5% | 4.3% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 1.4% | 5.4% | — | 21.4pp |
December 2023 | uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party) splits from the ANC. | ||||||||||||
IPSOS | 23 October – 1 December 2023 | 3,600 | 40.5% | 20.5% | — | 19.6% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 1% | 4.3% | 7.1 | — | 20pp |
IRR | October 2023 | 604 | 46.5% | 26.1% | — | 11.6% | 9.4% | — | — | — | — | — | 20.4pp |
IPSOS | October 2023 | — | 50% | 18% | — | 16% | 5% | 2% | 1% | 4% | 4% | — | 32pp |
Social Research Foundation | October 2023 | 1,412 | 45% | 31% | — | 9% | 6% | — | — | — | 9% | — | 14pp |
7 October 2023 | The ACDP joins the Multi-Party Charter. The charter now holds 112 out of the 400-seat National Assembly. | ||||||||||||
Brenthurst Foundation/SABI | 11 September – 3 October 2023 | 1,500 | 41% | 23% | — | 17% | 7% | 2% | — | 3% | 4% | 3% | 18pp |
17 July 2023 | The Multi-Party Charter is signed between the DA, IFP, VF+ and 4 other parties holding 108 of 400 National Assembly seats. | ||||||||||||
IPSOS | 1 June – 20 July 2023 | 3,600 | 43% | 20% | — | 18% | 5% | 2% | 1% | 4% | 7% | — | 23pp |
IPSOS & Inclusive Society Institute | April 2023 | 3,600 | 49.9% | 23.6% | — | 12.7% | 4.4% | — | — | 4.1% | 5.2% | — | 26.3pp |
Social Research Foundation | March 2023 | 1,517 | 45.9% | 23.3% | — | 8.4% | 6.1% | 2.2% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 10.1% | — | 22.6pp |
Social Research Foundation | 29 August 2022 | 3,204 | 52% | 25% | — | 11% | — | — | — | 5% | 7% | 27pp | |
50% | 25% | — | 12% | — | — | — | 6% | 7% | 25pp | ||||
Brenthurst Foundation | 27 October – 10 November 2022 | 1,000 | 47.6% | 24% | — | 10.7% | — | — | — | 4% | 12.2% | — | 23.6pp |
Rivonia Circle | September – October 2022 | 2,000 | 41% | 18% | — | 15% | — | — | — | 6% | 7% | 13% | 23pp |
IPSOS | 14 May – 3 July 2022 | 3,600 | 42% | 11% | — | 9% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 4% | 26% | 31pp |
2021 municipal elections. | 1 November 2021 | N/A | 47.52% | 19.84% | — | 10.54% | 6.27% | 2.32% | 0.71% | 1.82% | 6.76% | — | 27.68pp |
IPSOS | 1 November 2021 | N/A | 43.4% | 24.2% | — | 14.8% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 3.7% | 9.5% | 31% | 19.2pp |
IPSOS | July – September 2020 | 3,758 | 50% | 16% | — | 13% | 2% | 1% | — | — | 2% | 16% | 34pp |
IPSOS | 20 September – 8 November 2019 | 3,600 | 55% | 13% | — | 8% | 2% | 1% | 1% | — | 3% | 18% | 42pp |
2019 general election. | 8 May 2019 | — | 57.5% | 20.8% | — | 10.8% | 3.4% | 2.4% | 0.8% | — | 10.1% | — | 36.7pp |
The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election resulted in Nelson Mandela being elected as President of South Africa. Cyril Ramaphosa, the incumbent national President, has served as President of the ANC since 18 December 2017.
South Africa since 1994 transitioned from the system of apartheid to one of majority rule. The election of 1994 resulted in a change in government with the African National Congress (ANC) coming to power. The ANC retained power after subsequent elections in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Children born during this period are known as the born-free generation, and those aged eighteen or older, were able to vote for the first time in 2014.
General elections were held in South Africa on 22 April 2009 to elect members of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. These were the fourth general elections held since the end of the apartheid era.
Samson Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician and former trade unionist who is currently serving as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. He was Minister of Mineral Resources from February 2018 to May 2019, when his current portfolio was created. He is also serving his second term as the national chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC).
Nomvula Paula Mokonyane is a South African politician who is currently the First Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC). She was the first female Premier of Gauteng from 2009 to 2014 and subsequently served in the national government as Minister of Water and Sanitation from 2014 to 2018, Minister of Communications in 2018, and Minister of Environmental Affairs from 2018 to 2019.
General elections were held in South Africa on 7 May 2014, to elect a new National Assembly and new provincial legislatures in each province. It was the fifth election held in South Africa under conditions of universal adult suffrage since the end of the apartheid era in 1994, and also the first held since the death of Nelson Mandela. It was also the first time that South African expatriates were allowed to vote in a South African national election.
Godfrey Phumulo Masualle is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since May 2019. He was Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises from May 2019 to March 2023, and before that he was the sixth Premier of the Eastern Cape from May 2014 to May 2019.
General elections were held in South Africa on 8 May 2019 to elect a new President, National Assembly and provincial legislatures in each province. These were the sixth elections held since the end of apartheid in 1994 and determined who would become the next President of South Africa.
The council of the City of Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa is elected every five years by a system of mixed-member proportional representation. Half of the councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting from individual wards, while the other half are appointed from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. By-elections are held to replace the councillors elected by wards if a vacancy occurs.
Tokozile Xasa is a South African politician who was the Minister of Sport and Recreation from February 2018 to May 2019. Before that, she was the Minister of Tourism from March 2017 to February 2018. A member of the National Assembly between 2009 and 2019, she took office as South African Ambassador to Belgium in February 2021.
Makhotso Magdeline "Maggie" Sotyu is a South African politician who is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries since May 2019. She has been a deputy minister since 2010, formerly as Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture and Deputy Minister of Police, and has represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly since June 1999.
Mathume Joseph Phaahla is a South African politician who is currently serving as the Minister of Health since August 2021. He was formerly the Deputy Minister of Health from May 2014 to August 2021. He had been a deputy minister since May 2009, when he joined the National Assembly. He is also a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).
Pamela Tshwete is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape. She is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Human Settlements since August 2021. She has been a member of the National Assembly since 2002 and a deputy minister since 2013.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced on 20 March 2019 that a record number of 48 parties had registered candidates for the national parliamentary election. This is 19 more parties that contested the 2014 national elections. In the provincial legislature elections, the total number of parties registering candidates were:
The 2021 South African municipal elections were held on 1 November 2021, to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces. It is the sixth municipal election held in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, held every five years. The previous municipal elections were held in 2016. On 21 April 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the elections will be held on Wednesday, 27 October 2021. It had been recommend by Dikgang Moseneke to delay the municipal elections until 2022. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) requested the Constitutional Court to support the date postponement. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported the date postponement while the Democratic Alliance (DA) was against the postponement of the date. The Constitutional Court dismissed the application to postpone the date until 2022, ruling that they had to take place between 27 October and 1 November. On 9 September 2021, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that the elections would be held on 1 November.
Leon Amos Schreiber is a South African author and Democratic Alliance (DA) politician serving as the Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration since June 2019. He has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since May 2019.
Thembekile Richard Majola is a South African politician who served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa for the Democratic Alliance (DA) from 2014 until his resignation from the party in 2024. He was the deputy speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2009 to 2012 and the speaker from 2012 to 2014.
Nokuzola Gladys Tolashe, also known as Sisisi "Sisi" Tolashe, is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape. She was elected as president of the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League in July 2023. In government, Tolashe has been the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities since March 2023.
Mxolisi Abraham Dukwana is a South African politician who has been the seventh Premier of the Free State since February 2023. He has also served as Provincial Chairperson of the Free State branch of his political party, the African National Congress (ANC), since January 2023. Prior to his election as Premier, he served in the Free State Executive Council as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs since October 2021.