The Republic of South Africa  

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT 

Republic

HEAD OF STATE 

President Thabo Mbeki 

Deputy President Jacob Zuma
 
 
POLITICAL SYSTEM AND GOVERNMENT 

PARLIAMENT 

Parliament consists of two houses, the National Assembly with 400 members and the Senate with 90 members. The legislative authority of the Republic of South Africa vests in Parliament. The members of the National Assembly are elected in accordance with a system of proportional representation which provides that the number of seats to which a party is entitled in Parliament is directly related to the support it receives in an election. The Senate of 90 members consists of ten Senators from each province.  

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 

The President: The national executive authority vests with the President. The first President, Mr Nelson Mandela, was elected by the National Assembly.

Executive Deputy Presidents: Each party with at least 80 seats in the National Assembly may appoint a Deputy President and there must be at least two Deputy Presidents. Should no party or only one party hold 80 seats or more, the two biggest parties will appoint a Deputy President for that parties. The first two Deputy Presidents appointed are Mr Jacob Zima and Mr FW de Klerk. 

THE CABINET 

The Cabinet of the government of national unity consists of the President, two Deputy Presidents and 27 Ministers. 

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 

Due to historic, economic and cultural factors, South Africa has been characterised by the existence of various types of government institutions at regional and provincial level. 

The new provincial system forms part of the Constitution. There are nine provinces, and each province have their own self-governing territories. The independent states of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei have ceased to exist. The provinces are the following: Eastern Cape, Eastern Transvaal, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Northern Transvaal, North-West, Free State, Gauteng and Western Cape. The territory of each province is comprehensively defined in the Constitution. 

In the Constitution it has been specified that each provincial legislature may with a two-third majority adopt a constitution for the province in question. A provincial construction becomes effective, however, only after the Constitutional Court has certified that it is in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. A provincial constitution may not be inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution except that different legislative and executive structures may be provided for. 

Each province has a provincial legislature in which the legislative authority of that province vests, and which accordingly has the power to make laws for the province. A provincial legislature functions on similar lines to the Parliament. 

The executive authority of a province, that is the authority to administer provincial laws within the province, vests in a Premier who must exercise his or her powers in consultation with the other members of a provincial executive council. 

The executive council of a province is constituted in much the same way as the cabinet. 

PROVINCIAL POWERS 

Provinces have powers in the following areas: agriculture, racing and gambling, cultural affairs, education at all levels, health services, housing, language policy, local government, police, provincial public media, public transport, regional planning and development, road traffic regulation, roads, tourism, trade and industrial promotion, traditional authorities, urban and rural development, welfare services, abattoirs, airports (other than national), animal control, indigenous law and custom, markets and pounds, provincial sport and recreation, soil conservation. 

The Constitution also provides that parliament has legislative authority over the above. As a rule, laws of a provincial legislature take preference over the respective parliamentary laws. Acts of parliament which deals with these matters will, however, prevail in the following circumstances: 

Local government is entrenched in the Constitution as a full-fledged level of government. In order to realise the new dispensation for local government the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 was promulgated. The Act is directed at the total restructuring of local government in order to phase out existing racially based systems and to replace them with a single non-racial system. 

TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES 

The Constitution recognises traditional authorities and indigenous law and provides for the continuing existence of traditional authorities which applies the indigenous law. Each provincial legislation will adopt a law providing for the establishment of a base of traditional leaders for that province, and on national level a council of traditional leaders is to be established. 

THE VOLKSTAAT COUNCIL 

The Constitution provides for a Volkstaat council consisting of 20 members elected by members of parliament who support the establishment of a Volkstaat. This gives effect to the Constitution of the principle in terms of which self-determination may be pursued on a territorial or any other basis. 

The African National Congresss(ANC) (252 seats): Has an overall majority in the government of Naitonal Unity. ANC is an alliance of African nationalists.The South Africa Communist party and Cosatu enjoys support amongst all races. Its policies may be described as social democratic. 

The National Party (NP) (82 seats): Second in size, the NP ruled South Africa for 46 years prior to 1994. For much of that time it was a right-wing party dedicated to white exclusivly. Today it largely has a white membership, but have opened its doors to all races 

The Inkatha Freedom Party (43 seats): A predominanlty Zulu party, its support is heavily concentrated in Kwazulu-Nata. The party favours federalism as a check on the powers of central government. Its economic policy is free-market oriented. 

TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS : ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWERS 

The new South African Constitution provides for nine provinces, of which the largest in area is the Northern Cape(29.6%); the most populous KwaZulu-Natal and the most econmically productive Gauteng.