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The electoral system in South Africa

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By Dr. Milton Owuor

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CONTENT

1. Prelude
2. Electoral system: constituency-based
3. Constitutional provisions
4. Proportional representation (PR)
5. Local and metropolitan municipalities
6. Local and district municipalities
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1. PRELUDE

Welcome to this session.

 I am Dr. Milton Owuor, your module lecturer for this Semester.
 I hold a doctorate in law from the University of Pretoria.

 In this presentation, we are looking at the electoral system in South Africa.

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2. ELECTORAL SYSTEMS: CONSTITUENCY-BASED

 Electoral systems may take broad forms based on ballot structure, district structure and
electoral formula.
 The main types of electoral systems in the different democracies include constituency-based
systems and systems of proportional representation (PR).
 In a constituency-based system used, for instance, in Zimbabwe and Botswana, the country is
divided up into parliamentary voting areas called constituencies.
 Each political party nominates a candidate to contest in a constituency. Only voters registered
in a particular constituency are entitled to vote for their candidate of choice.
 A candidate who receives the most votes cast in a particular constituency, will represent that
constituency in the legislature as their member of parliament (MP).
 It has been argued that a constituency-based system ensures that the elected individual
representative can be held accountable. However, the disadvantage of the system is that
smaller parties may emerge with no seats at all.
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3. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

 In South Africa, section 19(2) of the Constitution provides that “[E]very citizen has the right to
free, fair and regular elections for any legislative body established in terms of the
Constitution.”
 Section 19(3)(1)(a) of the Constitution provides further that every adult citizen has the right to
vote in elections for any legislative body established in terms of the Constitution, and to do so
in secret.
 In terms of section1(d) of the Constitution, the Republic of South Africa is founded on the
value of, inter alia, universal adult suffrage, a national voters roll, regular elections, and a
multi-party system of democratic government, to ensure accountability, responsiveness, and
openness.
 The Constitution of South Africa provides for a system of proportional representation in the
elections for parliamentary and provincial legislatures.
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4. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION (PR)

 The proportional representation election system means that the percentage of Parliamentary
seats is allocated in direct proportion to the number of votes a political party receives in an
election.
 So, by illustration, if a party wins 20% of all the votes in the country, it follows that it secures
20% of the seats in Parliament.
 In South Africa, the national and provincial elections are held every 5 years. Voters do not vote
for individuals but for a political party.
 Each party then determines the members to occupy the seats it won in Parliament or the
legislature.
 For purposes of national elections, South Africa is divided into 10 large multi-member districts,
with 1 national district (200 seats), and 9 corresponding to the 9 provinces (200 seats). A total
of 400 seats in the lower chamber, the National Assembly.
 Voters, using two separate ballots, elect national and provincial legislatures simultaneously, by
choosing their preferred political party.
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5. LOCAL AND METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITIES

Local (municipal) elections

 Municipal elections are held every 5 years. It involves a hybrid system entailing both
a proportional representation (PR) system and the ward system.
 The three different categories of municipalities in South Africa have slightly different
electoral systems. The 3 categories are:
Metropolitan municipalities (category A)
 in 6 largest cities, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Ethekweni (Durban), Tshwane
(Pretoria), Nelson Mandela (Port Elizabeth) and Ekhuruleni (East Rand).
 These municipalities are divided into wards.
 Half of the councillors are elected as ward councillors by the residents of each ward.
The other half are elected through the system of proportional representation ballot.
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6. LOCAL AND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITIES

Local municipalities (category B)

 are 231 in total. They are divided into wards and residents are represented by a ward
councillor in each ward.
 Fifty percent of the local councillors are elected through proportional representation
ballot, while the other 50% are elected directly as ward councillors by the residents
in each ward.
District municipalities (category C).
 There are 47 district municipalities in South Africa.
 Each district council is made up of two types of councillors, namely elected
councillors (who constitute 40%) elected through proportional representation ballot
and councillors (60%) who represent local municipalities where they were elected as
local councillors.
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8. FURTHER ASSISTANCE

 Should you require further elucidation of any of the points discussed in this
presentation, please feel free to:

 visit the Q&A forum on your canvas platform; or

 send an email to me using canvas inbox.

 Best wishes

 Dr. Milton Owuor

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THANK YOU
ENKOSITHANK YOU
ENKOSI
RE A LEBOGA
DANKIERE A LEBOGA
DANKIE
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