KwaZulu-Natal Legislature

Last updated
KwaZulu-Natal Legislature

IsiShayamthetho saKwaZulu-Natali (Zulu)
7th Legislature
KwaZulu Natal Legislature seal.png
Type
Type
Leadership
Speaker
Deputy Speaker
Mmabatho Tembe, Democratic Alliance
since 14 June 2024 [1]
Premier
Thami Ntuli, Inkatha Freedom Party
since 14 June 2024
Structure
Seats80
South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Parliament 2024.svg
Political groups
Government (41)
  •   IFP (15)
  •   ANC (14)
  •   DA (11)
  •   NFP (1)

Official Opposition (37)

  •   MK (37)

Other parties (2)

Elections
Party-list proportional representation
Last election
29 May 2024
Meeting place
KwaZulu-Natal Parliament building, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.jpg
239 Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg
Website
kznlegislature.gov.za

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is unicameral in its composition and elects the premier and the provincial cabinet from among the leading party or coalition members in the parliament. Thami Ntuli of the Inkatha Freedom Party was elected Premier of KwaZulu-Natal at the first sitting of the provincial legislature on 14 June 2024. [2]

Contents

Powers

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature chooses the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, the head of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive. The legislature can impel the Premier to resign by passing a motion of no confidence. Although the Premier appoints the members of the Executive Council, the legislature may pass a motion of no confidence to force the Premier to reshuffle the Council. The legislature also designates the KwaZulu-Natal'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 set out in the national constitution; in some fields, the legislative power is shared with the national parliament, while in others it is reserved to the province alone. The fields include matters as health, education (except universities), agriculture, housing, environmental protection, and development planning.

The legislature oversees the administration of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and the Executive Council members are required to report to the legislature on the performance of their responsibilities. The legislature also manages the financial affairs of the provincial government by way of the appropriation bills which determine the provincial budget.

Election

The provincial legislature consists of 80 members, who are elected through a system of party list proportional representation with closed lists. In other words, each voter casts a vote for one political party, and seats in the legislature are allocated to the parties in proportion to the number of votes received. The seats are then filled by members in accordance with lists submitted by the parties before the election.

The legislature is elected for a term of five years, unless it is dissolved early. This may occur if the legislature votes to dissolve and it is at least three years since the last election, or if the Premiership falls vacant and the legislature fails to elect a new Premier within ninety days. By convention, all nine provincial legislatures and the National Assembly are elected on the same day.

The most recent election was held on 29 May 2024. The following table summarises the results.

South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Parliament 2024.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
uMkhonto we Sizwe 1,590,81345.35New37New
Inkatha Freedom Party 633,77118.07Increase2.svg 2.7315Increase2.svg 2
African National Congress 595,95816.99Decrease2.svg 37.2314Decrease2.svg 30
Democratic Alliance 468,51513.36Decrease2.svg 0.5411Steady2.svg 0
Economic Freedom Fighters 79,2112.26Decrease2.svg 7.652Decrease2.svg 6
National Freedom Party 19,5480.56Decrease2.svg 1.011Steady2.svg 0
Moodley Thanasagren Rubbanathan12,3230.35New0New
African Christian Democratic Party 11,3660.32Decrease2.svg 0.160Decrease2.svg 1
ActionSA 9,5690.27New0New
Allied Movement for Change 8,0070.23New0New
Patriotic Alliance 7,8430.22New0New
African Transformation Movement 6,4770.18Decrease2.svg 0.310Decrease2.svg 1
Democratic Liberal Congress 6,1260.17Decrease2.svg 0.210Steady2.svg 0
Al Jama-ah 6,0120.17Decrease2.svg 0.110Steady2.svg 0
Freedom Front Plus 5,6380.16Decrease2.svg 0.150Steady2.svg 0
Build One South Africa 4,6480.13New0New
African People's Movement 4,1170.12New0New
Rise Mzansi 3,8980.11New0New
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania 3,8170.11Increase2.svg 0.040Steady2.svg 0
Justice and Employment Party3,6260.10Decrease2.svg 0.130Steady2.svg 0
Congress of the People 3,6150.10Decrease2.svg 0.040Steady2.svg 0
Abantu Batho Congress 3,2140.09New0New
People's Freedom Party3,1620.09New0New
Sizwe Ummah Nation 2,7310.08New0New
United Democratic Movement 2,5650.07Decrease2.svg 0.030Steady2.svg 0
African Independent Congress 2,5270.07Decrease2.svg 0.190Steady2.svg 0
African Movement Congress2,0490.06New0New
Good 2,0050.06Decrease2.svg 0.050Steady2.svg 0
Arise SA1,9580.06New0New
African People First1,0070.03New0New
Economic Liberators Forum South Africa6790.02New0New
All Citizens Party6310.02New0New
Africa Restoration Alliance 6290.02New0New
Total3,508,055100.0080
Valid votes3,508,05598.88
Invalid/blank votes39,7611.12
Total votes3,547,816100.00
Registered voters/turnout5,738,24961.83
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa

The following table shows the composition of the legislature after past elections and floor-crossing periods.

Event ACDP ANC DP/DA EFF IFP MF MK NFP NP/NNP PAC UDM Others
1994 election 1262411910
1999 election 13273423010
2003 floor-crossing 13563222011
2004 election 23873020010
2005 floor-crossing 1405272014
2007 floor-crossing 1415272013
2009 election 1517182001
2014 election 052102916000
2019 election 1441181311001
2024 election 01411215371000

Officers

The Speaker of the Legislature is Ntobeko Boyce, while the Deputy Speaker is Mmabatho Tembe. [3] The following people have served as Speaker:

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Bonga Mdletshe [4] [5] 19982004 IFP
Willies Mchunu 20042009 ANC
Peggy Nkonyeni [6] 20092013 ANC
Lydia Johnson [7] [8] 20132019 ANC
Ntobeko Boyce 2019Incumbent ANC

Membership

References

  1. Arde, Greg (14 June 2024). "Inkatha Freedom Party's Thami Ntuli is voted in as KwaZulu-Natal's new premier". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  2. Motha, Sandile (2024-06-14). "IFP chair Thami Ntuli elected KZN premier as GNU flexes muscle". Sunday World. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. "DA's Tembe elected KZN Legislature Deputy Speaker". The Witness. 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  4. "Speaker: Bonga Nkanyiso Mdletshe". KwaZulu-Natal Parliament. Archived from the original on 19 January 2004. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  5. Speaker Mdletshe was re-elected on June 18, 1999
  6. Peggy Nkonyeni appointed KZN education MEC. News24. 7 October 2013. Retrieved on 8 January 2019.
  7. Election of the new Speaker of the KZN Legislature. Retrieved on 8 January 2019.
  8. Lydia Johnson new speaker of KZN legislature - ANC KZN. Retrieved on 8 January 2019.