Government of the Northern Cape | |
---|---|
Part of | Republic of South Africa |
Constitution | Constitution of The Northern Cape |
Legislative branch | |
Name | Legislature |
Type | Unicameral |
Presiding officer | Newrene Klaaste, Speaker |
Executive branch | |
Head of State and Government | |
Title | Premier |
Currently | Zamani Saul |
Cabinet | |
Headquarters | Kimberley |
The Northern Cape province of South Africa is governed in a parliamentary system in which the people
elect the provincial legislature and the legislature, in turn, elects the Premier as head of the executive. The Premier leads an Executive Council consisting of members who oversee various executive departments. The structure of the provincial government is defined by chapter six of the Constitution of South Africa.
The Northern Cape Provincial Legislature, situated in Kimberley, is the legislative branch of the provincial government. It is a unicameral legislature of 30 members, elected by a system of party-list proportional representation. An election is held every five years, conventionally at the same time as the election of the National Assembly.
After the election of 8 May 2019 there were eighteen members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) representing the African National Congress, eight representing the Democratic Alliance, three representing the Economic Freedom Fighters and one representing the Freedom Front Plus. [1]
The Premier of the Northern Cape is the head of the provincial government, chosen by the members of the provincial parliament from amongst themselves. The Premier appoints Members of the Executive Council (MECs) to oversee the various departments of the provincial government. The Director-General is the non-political head of the provincial administration, while each department is led by a Head of Department. The current Premier is Zamani Saul of the African National Congress. Besides the Premier, the Executive Council consists of ten MECs overseeing eleven departments.
Portfolio | MEC | Party |
---|---|---|
Premier | Zamani Saul | ANC |
Sport, Arts and Culture | Desery Finies | ANC |
Transport and Safety Liaison | Nomandla Bloem | ANC |
Finance, Economic Development and Tourism | Abraham Vosloo | ANC |
Health | Maruping Lekwene | ANC |
Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs | Bentley Vass | ANC |
Education | Zolile Monakali | ANC |
Land Reform, Agriculture and Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs | Mase Manopole | ANC |
Roads and Public Works | Fufe Makatong | ANC |
Social Development | Nontobeko Vilakazi | ANC |
Youth, Women, Disability, Communications and E-Government | Venus Blennies | ANC |
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South Africa has a single national judiciary; there is no separate system of provincial courts. The Northern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa in Kimberley has jurisdiction over all cases arising in the province, but generally handles only the most serious or high-profile criminal trials, high-value civil trials, cases involving judicial review of legislation or executive actions, and appeals from the magistrates' courts. Judges of the High Court periodically go on circuit to hear cases in parts of the province distant from Kimberley. Appeals from the High Court are to the national Supreme Court of Appeal and ultimately (if a constitutional matter is involved) to the Constitutional Court.
The province is divided into 26 magisterial districts and 6 sub-districts, each of which is served by a district magistrate's court. There are a further 24 branch and periodical courts to serve geographically dispersed districts. These district courts have jurisdiction over all criminal cases except murder, rape and treason and can impose a fine of up to R100,000 or a prison sentence of up to three years; and they have jurisdiction over civil cases where the value of the claim is less than R100,000. The regional magistrate's court for the Northern Cape, which sits at multiple locations in the province, has jurisdiction over all criminal cases except treason and can impose a fine of up to R300,000 or a prison sentence of up to fifteen years (or life in some circumstances). The regional court also has jurisdiction over civil cases where the value of the claim is less than R300,000, and divorce and family law cases.
As of 2016, the Northern Cape is divided into five district municipalities which are subdivided into twenty-six local municipalities. The municipalities are listed below.
The High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law in South Africa. It is divided into nine provincial divisions, some of which sit in more than one location. Each High Court division has general jurisdiction over a defined geographical area in which it is situated. The decisions of a division are binding on magistrates' courts within its area of jurisdiction. The High Court has jurisdiction over all matters, but it usually only hears civil matters involving more than 400,000 rand, and serious criminal cases. It also hears any appeals or reviews from magistrates' courts and other lower courts.
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Abraham Vosloo is a South African educator and politician from the Northern Cape serving as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism since June 2020. He has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He was the MEC for Roads and Public Works from May 2019 until June 2020. Vosloo was previously the Executive Mayor of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality. He is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).
McCollen Ntsikelelo Jack, known as Mac Jack, was a South African educator and politician. A member of the African National Congress, Jack was appointed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in June 2013. He served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Transport, Safety and Liaison from June 2013 until May 2014, when he was appointed the MEC for Health. Following a cabinet reshuffle in March 2016, he was appointed the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. Jack held the position until his appointment as MEC for Education in May 2019, despite him briefly being demoted from the Executive Council in May 2017.
Solomon Patrick Mabilo is a South African politician from the Northern Cape who served as the Executive Mayor of the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality from 2018 to 2021. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), he served as a Member of the National Assembly from 2014 to 2017. He was a Member of Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2009 to 2014 and again in 2018. Within the Northern Cape provincial government, he served as the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison from 2009 to 2013, and was the MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation between 2013 and 2014.
Mxolisa Simon Sokatsha was a South African accountant, educator and politician. A member of the African National Congress, he was a Member of the Executive Council in the Northern Cape from 2009 to 2019 and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2003 to 2019. In 2019 he was elected to the South African National Assembly.
Cukelwa Magdeline Chotelo, known as Tiny Chotelo, is a South African politician. A member of the African National Congress, she was elected to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2009. In 2013 she was appointed Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development. She was appointed MEC for Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs in 2014. Chotelo was demoted from the Executive Council in 2018 and left the legislature in 2019.
Lebogang James Motlhaping is a South African politician from the Northern Cape. He was the Member of the Executive Council for Transport, Safety and Liaison from 2018 to 2019, the MEC for Health from 2016 to 2018, and the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture from 2014 to 2016. He was a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2014 to 2019. Motlhaping is a member of the African National Congress.
Mmoloki Saviour Cwaile is a South African politician who served as the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs from November 2020 to August 2021. A member of the African National Congress, he has been a Member of the North West Provincial Legislature since February 2019. Cwaile had previously served as the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Premier, Finance, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs in the legislature.
Pauline Jeanette Williams is a retired South African politician. A member of the African National Congress, she was elected to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2004. In 2009, she was appointed as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sport, Arts and Culture. She left the legislature in 2014, only for her to return in 2015. She was then made MEC for Transport, Liaison and Safety in 2016. Williams was briefly out of the post in May 2017. In February 2018, she was made the MEC for Environmental Affairs. Williams left the legislature again in 2019.
Weziwe Tikana is a South African politician, educator and trade unionist. She was the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison from 2014 until 2022. She has been a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature since 2014. Tikana is a member of the African National Congress.
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