Free State Provincial Legislature

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Free State Provincial Legislature

Vrystaatse Provinsiale Wetgewer (Afrikaans)
Kopano ea Molao ea Lekhotla la Free State (Sotho)
7th Legislature
Free State Legislature seal.jpg
Type
Type
Leadership
Speaker
Mxolisi Dukwana, ANC
since 27 June 2024 [1]
Deputy Speaker
Nolitha Ndungane, ANC
since 27 June 2024
Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, ANC
since 14 June 2024
Leader of the Opposition
Roy Jankielsohn, DA
since 21 May 2014 [2]
Structure
Seats30
South Africa Free State Parliament 2024.svg
Political groups
Government (16)
  •   ANC (16)

Official Opposition (7)

Other parties (7)

Elections
Party-list proportional representation
Last election
29 May 2024
Meeting place
Legislative chamber, Free State parliament (6461110525).jpg
Legislative Chamber, Vierde Raadsaal, Bloemfontein
Website
Free State Legislature

The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition and elects the Premier of the Free State, who in turn selects the members of the Executive Council of the Free State.

Contents

Powers

The Free State Provincial Legislature chooses the Premier of the Free State, the head of the Free State's provincial executive. The legislature can force the Premier to resign by passing a motion of no confidence. Although the Executive Council is chosen by the Premier, the legislature may pass a motion of no confidence to force the Premier to change the composition of the Council. The legislature also appoints Free State's delegates to the National Council of Provinces, allocating delegates to parties in proportion to the number of seats each party holds in the legislature.

The legislature has the power to pass legislation in numerous fields specified in the national constitution, including include health, education (except universities), agriculture, housing, environmental protection, and development planning. In some fields, legislative power is shared with the national parliament, while in other fields it is reserved to the Free State alone.

The legislature oversees the administration of the Free State provincial government, and the Premier and the members of the Executive Council are required to report to the legislature on the performance of their responsibilities. The legislature also manages the finances of the provincial government by way of the appropriation bills which determine the Free State's provincial budget.

Election

The provincial legislature consists of 30 members, who are elected through a system of party-list proportional representation with closed lists. The most recent election was held on 29 May 2024. The following table summarises the results.

PartyVotesVote %Seats
ANC 429,24151.8716
DA 181,06221.887
EFF 111,85013.524
VF+ 24,9333.011
MK 15,9851.931
ACT 15,1201.831
Other parties49,3215.960
Total827,512100.030

The following table shows the composition of the provincial parliament after past elections. The African National Congress has held a majority in the legislature since 1994, while the Democratic Alliance has been the official opposition since 2014, when it displaced the Congress of the People.

Party 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
African Christian Democratic Party 0010000
African Congress for Transformation 1
African National Congress 24252522221916
Congress of the People 4000
Democratic Alliance / Democratic Party 0233567
Economic Freedom Fighters 244
Freedom Front Plus / Freedom Front 2111111
New National Party / National Party 420
UMkhonto we Sizwe 1
Total30


Officers

The following people have served as Speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature.

NameTerm startTerm endParty
Motlalepula Chabaku [3] 19941998 ANC
Joel Mafereka 19982001 ANC
Jani Mohapi 20012002 ANC
Mxolisi Dukwana 20022008 ANC
Ouma Tsopo 20132014 ANC
Sisi Mabe 20142014 ANC
Mamiki Qabathe 20152019 ANC
Zanele Sifuba 20192024 ANC
Mxolisi Dukwana 2024Incumbent ANC

Members

References

  1. "Nothing controversial about being elected Free State Speaker: Dukwana". 27 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  2. Roy Jankielsohn. Retrieved on 23 May 2019.
  3. Executive Summary: Provincial 10 Year Review Implementation Report