View source for Politics of South Africa

{{Short description|Political system of South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox political system
| name                          = Politics of South Africa
| native_name                   =
| image                         = Coat of arms of South Africa (heraldic).svg
| image_size                    = 85
| caption                       = [[Coat of arms of South Africa]]
| type                          = Unitary [[parliamentary republic with an executive presidency]]
| constitution                  = [[Constitution of South Africa]]
| legislature                   = [[Parliament of South Africa|Parliament]]
| legislature_type              = 
| legislature_place             = [[Houses of Parliament, Cape Town|Houses of Parliament]], [[Cape Town]]
| legislature_speaker           =
| legislature_speaker_title     = | upperhouse                    = [[National Council of Provinces]]
| upperhouse_speaker            = [[Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane]]
| upperhouse_speaker_title      = [[National Council of Provinces#Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson|Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces]]
| upperhouse_appointer          =Provincial legislatures
| lowerhouse                    = [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]]
| lowerhouse_speaker            = [[Thoko Didiza]]
| lowerhouse_speaker_title      = [[Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa|Speaker of the National Assembly]]
| lowerhouse_appointer          = [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]]
| title_hos                     =
| current_hos                   =
| appointer_hos                 =
| title_hog                     =
| current_hog                   =
| appointer_hog                 =
| title_hosag                   = [[President of South Africa|President]]
| current_hosag                 = [[Cyril Ramaphosa]]
| appointer_hosag               = National Assembly
| cabinet                       = [[Cabinet of South Africa]]
| current_cabinet               = [[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa]]
| cabinet_leader                = President
| cabinet_deputyleader          = [[Deputy President of South Africa|Deputy President]]
| cabinet_appointer             = President
| cabinet_hq                    = 
| cabinet_ministries            = 32
| judiciary                     = [[Judiciary of South Africa]]
| judiciary_head                = 
| courts                        =
| court                         = [[Constitutional Court of South Africa|Constitutional Court]]
| chief_judge                   = [[Mandisa Maya]]
| court_seat                    = 
| court1                        = [[Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa|Supreme Court of Appeal]]
| chief_judge1                  = [[Mahube Molemela]]
| court_seat1                   =
}}
{{Politics of South Africa}}
The [[Republic of South Africa]] is a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[democratic republic]]. The [[President of South Africa]] serves both as [[head of state]] and as [[head of government]]. The President is elected by the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]] (the [[lower house]] of the [[Parliament of South Africa|South African Parliament]]) and must retain the confidence of the Assembly in order to remain in office. South Africans also elect [[Provincial legislature (South Africa)|provincial legislatures]] which govern each of the country's nine [[Provinces of South Africa|provinces]].

Since the end of [[apartheid]] in 1994, the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) has dominated South Africa's politics. The ANC is the ruling party in the national legislature, as well as in most provinces. The ANC received 40.18% of the vote during the [[2024 South African general election|2024 general election]]. The main challenger to the ANC's rule is the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] (DA), led by [[John Steenhuisen]], which received 21.81% of the vote in the 2024 election. Other major political parties represented in Parliament includes [[UMkhonto weSizwe (political party)|uMkhonto we Sizwe]] (MK Party), [[Economic Freedom Fighters]] (EFF) and the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]] (IFP). The formerly dominant [[New National Party (South Africa)|New National Party]] (NNP), which both introduced and ended apartheid through its predecessor the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] (NP), disbanded in 2005 to merge with the [[African National Congress|ANC]].

[[Nelson Mandela]] served as president from 1994 to 1999 and his successors were [[Thabo Mbeki]] (1999−2008), [[Kgalema Motlanthe]] (2008−2009) and [[Jacob Zuma]] (2009−2018). Zuma was replaced by [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] after his resignation in February 2018. The 2024 general election was held on 29 May 2024, with the ANC losing its majority in the national parliament for the first time in South Africa's democratic history, though it still remained the largest political party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/2024-elections-enca-projects-anc-will-take-45-national-vote|title=2024 ELECTIONS {{!}} eNCA Project ANC Will Take 45% Of National Vote|publisher=eNCA|date=30 May 2024|accessdate=30 May 2024}}</ref> Despite losing the majority in 2024, the ANC managed to retain power with a coalition government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/14/south-africa-anc-pushing-coalition-government-before-election-president|title=South Africa's ANC strikes coalition deal with free-market DA|first=Rachel|last=Savage|work=The Guardian|date=14 June 2024|accessdate=14 June 2024}}</ref>

South Africa is a democracy. [[Universal suffrage]] was granted in 1994 with the end of [[apartheid]]. Since then, elections have been open and competitive, and the lives of South Africans have improved across multiple metrics.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Lieberman |first=Evan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv244ssrw |title=Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid |date=2022 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-20300-3 |doi=10.2307/j.ctv244ssrw |jstor=j.ctv244ssrw}}</ref> However, it has faced challenges as a multi-racial, young democracy.<ref name=":0" /> {{Democracy Index rating|South Africa|flawed democracy|2022}} It is the third-most electorally democratic and the second-most liberally democratic African nation, as well as the most electorally and liberally [[Democracy in Africa|democratic continental African nation]], according to the [[V-Dem Institute]].

== Context ==

{{Multiple image
| image1 = ImperialConference.jpg 
| caption1 = The Prime Ministers of the British Dominions attending the [[1926 Imperial Conference]] with [[King George V]] seated in the center. 
| image2 = Nelson Mandela 1994.jpg
| caption2 = [[Nelson Mandela]] was the first democratically elected President of South Africa.
| total_width = 300
|align = left
}}
On 31 May 1910, the [[Cape Colony]], [[Colony of Natal|Natal]] Colony, [[Transvaal (colony)|Transvaal]] and the [[Orange River Colony]] were united in one state called the [[Union of South Africa]]. The Union of South Africa adopted a system of governance based on the political system of the [[United Kingdom]]. The [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British monarch]] was the ceremonial head of state of South Africa and was represented by a [[Governor-General of South Africa|Governor-General]]. Real political power lay in the hands of the [[Prime Minister of South Africa|Prime Minister]] and Cabinet. The basic ideas of this system such as a three branch government and strong Parliament remain in force today.

On 15 November 1926, the [[Balfour Declaration of 1926|Balfour Declaration]] was adopted at the [[1926 Imperial Conference]]. This document made the dominions of the [[British Empire]] including South Africa equal to each other and the United Kingdom. In practice, this made the Union of South Africa a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. The Union of South Africa became formally independent in 1931 when the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] was passed. It gave the [[Parliament of South Africa]] the power to make laws for South Africa without the approval of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].

In 1948, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] of South Africa adopted a policy of institutional racial segregation called [[apartheid]]. People of colour, especially the majority black population, were deprived of the few rights they had. Racial classification and discrimination was used to distribute economic resources and control political power. The white population, particularly the [[Afrikaners]], controlled the political system. Black people were disenfranchised in all provinces of South Africa.

In 1961, South Africa became a Republic. The British monarch was replaced as head of state by a President elected by the minority of the population through elected representatives. In 1970, the Homeland Citizens Act was passed. It built on the system of reservations for the indigenous black African population to create a system of superficially independent black countries. Many Black people were deprived of their South African citizenship and instead became citizens of the [[Bantustan]] of their tribe. They were not recognized by a majority of the world's countries and the extent of their independent control over internal affairs was highly limited.

The [[African National Congress]] (ANC) led the fight against this system of apartheid. After intense international pressure and domestic struggle, the [[F. W. de Klerk|De Klerk]] government repealed or relaxed many apartheid laws. After negotiations between the ANC, [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], NP and other organizations, apartheid was formally abolished and the [[Interim Constitution (South Africa)|Interim Constitution]] was passed. The Bantustans were abolished and reintegrated into South Africa and their citizens regained South African citizenship.
 
The [[Cabinet of Nelson Mandela|Government of National Unity]] (GNU) established under the interim constitution ostensibly remained in effect until the 1999 national elections. The parties originally comprising the GNU – the [[African National Congress]] (ANC), the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] (NP), and the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]] (IFP) – shared executive power. On 30 June 1996, the NP withdrew from the GNU to become part of the opposition.

Many of the principles of racial equality, majority democracy and minority rights that it established were translated into the final [[Constitution of South Africa]] that was adopted in 1996 and which remains in force. It sets out the structure of the government, protects fundamental human rights, creates mechanisms of accountability and divides legislative and executive power among the national, provincial and local spheres of government.

==Government==
{{Main|Government of South Africa}}
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Houses of Parliament (Cape Town).jpg
| caption1 = The [[Houses of Parliament, Cape Town|Houses of Parliament]] in the legislative capital of [[Cape Town]] is the seat of the Parliament.
| image2 = Uniegebou.jpg
| caption2 = The [[Union Buildings]] in the administrative capital of [[Pretoria]].
| image3 = High Court, Bloemfontein, South Africa.JPG
| caption3 = The seat of the [[Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)|Supreme Court of Appeals]] is located in the judicial capital of [[Bloemfontein]].
| total_width = 400
}}
South Africa is a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], wherein the [[President of South Africa]], elected by parliament, is the [[head of government]], and of a [[multi-party system]]. It consists of three branches.

The executive branch consists of the [[President of South Africa]] and the [[Cabinet of South Africa]]. The President is elected by the Parliament of South Africa for a five-year term. The President may only serve two terms. By convention this position is occupied by the leader of the largest party in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]]. The President appoints other members of the Cabinet called Ministers. Ministers oversee [[Departments of the Government of South Africa|executive government departments]]. The Cabinet forms and executes policies and most legislative proposals originate from the Cabinet. The President and members of the Cabinet are accountable to the National Assembly. It has the power to remove them from office by passing a motion of no confidence and to hold them accountable through oral and written replies to questions from Members of Parliament.

The legislative branch consists of the Parliament. The Parliament consists of two chambers: the upper house is the [[National Council of Provinces]] (NCOP) and the lower house is the National Assembly. In practice, the National Assembly is by far the more powerful house. It controls the composition of the government and its approval is required for most legislative proposals to become law. The NCOP provides equal representation to South Africa's nine provinces and its approval is required for laws that affect South Africa's provinces and cultural communities. Whereas the National Assembly is elected by party proportional representation, the NCOP is elected by the legislatures of each province.

The judicial branch consists of the courts. It interprets and enforces laws. The highest court for constitutional matters is the [[Constitutional Court of South Africa]]. It has the power to rescind laws that conflict with the Constitution. The [[Supreme Court of Appeals of South Africa|Supreme Court of Appeals]] is the highest court for non-constitutional matters. The [[High Court of South Africa]] is a court of general jurisdiction with appellate powers. It is divided into divisions that have authority over a geographic region of the country. Magistrate Courts serve as courts of first instance. There are specialized courts and tribunals with power that can be equivalent to the Supreme Court of Appeals.

==Constitution==
{{Main|Constitution of South Africa}}
[[File:ConstitutionalCourtofSouthAfrica-20070622.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Constitutional Court is seated in [[Johannesburg]] on Constitution Hill. It is the final arbiter of the constitution and its decisions are binding on all courts in the Republic]]

Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution. This constitution required the [[Constituent Assembly]] (CA) to draft and approve a permanent constitution by 9 May 1996. The present constitution was passed in 1996 and promulgated by President Nelson Mandela in 1997. It is the highest law in the land; all other laws are expected to abide by and conform to the principles of the constitution. The Constitution not only sets out the structure of the three branches of government and the fundamental human rights of all of South Africa's people, but also provides for the management of public funding, the delineation of the boundaries and organization of Provinces and the formation of [[Chapter nine institutions|Chapter 9 Institutions]] to hold the government accountable.

==Political parties and their current vote share==
{{elect|List of political parties in South Africa|Elections in South Africa}}
General elections take place every 5 years. The first fully non-racial democratic election was held in [[1994 South African general election|1994]]. Subsequent elections were held in [[1999 South African general election|1999]], [[2004 South African general election|2004]], [[2009 South African general election|2009]], [[2014 South African general election|2014]], [[2019 South African general election|2019]], and [[2024 South African general election|2024]]. Until 2008, elected officials were allowed to change political party, while retaining their seats, during set windows which occurred twice each electoral term, due to controversial [[Floor crossing (South Africa)|floor crossing]] legislative amendments made in 2002. The last two floor crossing windows occurred in 2005 and in 2007.

After the 2009 elections, the ANC lost its two-thirds majority in the national legislature which had allowed it to unilaterally alter the constitution.

The [[Congress of South African Trade Unions]] (COSATU) and the [[South African Communist Party]] (SACP) are in a formal alliance with the ruling ANC (the so-called ''Tripartite Alliance''), and thus do not stand separately for election.

During the [[South African general election, 2024|2024 general election]], the ANC lost its majority in the national parliament for the first time in South Africa's democratic history, though it still remained the largest political party.<ref>{{cite web |title=IEC election results home - Electoral Commission of South Africa |url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/ |website=results.elections.org.za}}</ref>{{Election results
|image=[[File:2024 South African National Assembly.svg]]
|firstround=National ballot
|secondround=Regional ballot
|party1=[[African National Congress]]|votes1=6459683|seats1=73|votes1_2=6231519|seats1_2=86|totseats1=159|sc1=–71|sw1=–17.32|sw1_2=—
|party2=[[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]]|votes2=3505735|seats2=42|votes2_2=3439272|seats2_2=45|totseats2=87|sc2=+3|sw2=+1.04|sw2_2=—
|party3=[[uMkhonto weSizwe (political party)|uMkhonto weSizwe]]|votes3=2344309|seats3=31|votes3_2=2237877|seats3_2=27|totseats3=58|sc3=New|sw3=New|sw3_2=—
|party4=[[Economic Freedom Fighters]]|votes4=1529961|seats4=17|votes4_2=1556965|seats4_2=22|totseats4=39|sc4=–5|sw4=–1.28|sw4_2=—
|party5=[[Inkatha Freedom Party]]|votes5=618207|seats5=8|votes5_2=688570|seats5_2=9|totseats5=17|sc5=+3|sw5=+0.47|sw5_2=—
|party6=[[Patriotic Alliance]]|votes6=330425|seats6=5|votes6_2=345880|seats6_2=4|totseats6=9|sc6=+9|sw6=+2.02|sw6_2=—
|party7=[[Freedom Front Plus]]|votes7=218850|seats7=4|votes7_2=234477|seats7_2=2|totseats7=6|sc7=–4||sw7=–1.02|sw7_2=—
|party8=[[ActionSA]]|votes8=192373|seats8=4|votes8_2=219477|seats8_2=2|totseats8=6|sc8=New|sw8=New
|sw8_2=—
|party9=[[African Christian Democratic Party]]|votes9=96575|seats9=3|votes9_2=93581|seats9_2=0|totseats9=3|sc9=–1|sw9=–0.24|sw9_2=—
|party10=[[United Democratic Movement]]|votes10=78448|seats10=2|votes10_2=85618|seats10_2=1|totseats10=3|sc10=+1|sw10=+0.04|sw10_2=—
|party11=[[Rise Mzansi]]|votes11=67975|seats11=1|votes11_2=70142|seats11_2=1|totseats11=2|sc11=New|sw11=New|sw11_2=—
|party12=[[Build One South Africa]]|votes12=65912|seats12=2|votes12_2=69020|seats12_2=0|totseats12=2|sc12=New|sw12=New|sw12_2=—
|party13=[[African Transformation Movement]]|votes13=63554|seats13=2|votes13_2=66831|seats13_2=0|totseats13=2|sc13=0|sw13=–0.04|sw13_2=—
|party14=[[Al Jama-ah]]|votes14=39067|seats14=2|votes14_2=53337|seats14_2=0|totseats14=2|sc14=+1|sw14=+0.06|sw14_2=—
|party15=[[National Coloured Congress]]|votes15=37422|seats15=1|votes15_2=47178|seats15_2=1|totseats15=2|sc15=New|sw15=New|sw15_2=—
|party16=[[Pan Africanist Congress of Azania]]|votes16=36716|seats16=1|votes16_2=40788|seats16_2=0|totseats16=1|sc16=0|sw16=+0.04|sw16_2=—
|party17=[[United Africans Transformation]]|votes17=35679|seats17=1|votes17_2=32185|seats17_2=0|totseats17=1|sc17=New|sw17=New|sw17_2=—
|party18=[[Good (political party)|Good]]|votes18=29501|seats18=1|votes18_2=36103|seats18_2=0|totseats18=1|sc18=–1|sw18=–0.22|sw18_2=—
|party19=[[Hope4SA|#Hope4SA]]|votes19=27206|seats19=0|votes19_2=16872|seats19_2=0|totseats19=0|sc19=New|sw19=New|sw19_2=—
|party20=[[Allied Movement for Change]]|votes20=22055|seats20=0|votes20_2=18393|seats20_2=0|totseats20=0|sc20=New|sw20=New|sw20_2=—
|party21=[[United Independent Movement]]|votes21=20003|seats21=0|votes21_2=18907|seats21_2=0|totseats21=0|sc21=New|sw21=New|sw21_2=—
|party22=[[African Independent Congress]]|votes22=19900|seats22=0|votes22_2=3833|seats22_2=0|totseats22=0|sc22=–2|sw22=–0.16|sw22_2=—
|party23=[[National Freedom Party]]|votes23=19397|seats23=0|votes23_2=22726|seats23_2=0|totseats23=0|sc23=–2|sw23=–0.23|sw23_2=—
|party24=[[Azanian People's Organisation]]|votes24=19048|seats24=0|votes24_2=18741|seats24_2=0|totseats24=0|sc24=0|sw24=+0.05|sw24_2=—
|party25=[[African Congress for Transformation]]|votes25=18354|seats25=0|votes25_2=348|seats25_2=0|totseats25=0|sc25=New|sw25=New|sw25_2=—
|party26=[[African Heart Congress]]|votes26=16306|seats26=0|votes26_2=3579|seats26_2=0|totseats26=0|sc26=New|sw26=New|sw26_2=—
|party27=[[Congress of the People (South African political party)|Congress of the People]]|votes27=14177|seats27=0|votes27_2=16768|seats27_2=0|totseats27=0|sc27=–2|sw27=–0.18|sw27_2=—
|party28=[[African People's Convention]]|votes28=13195|seats28=0|votes28_2=14693|seats28_2=0|totseats28=0|sc28=0|sw28=–0.03|sw28_2=—
|party29=[[Africa Restoration Alliance]]|votes29=11108|seats29=0|votes29_2=12651|seats29_2=0|totseats29=0|sc29=New|sw29=New|sw29_2=—
|party30=[[Forum for Service Delivery]]|votes30=11077|seats30=0|votes30_2=7444|seats30_2=0|totseats30=0|sc30=0|sw30=+0.03|sw30_2=—
|party31=[[Democratic Liberal Congress]]|votes31=10904|seats31=0|votes31_2=7022|seats31_2=0|totseats31=0|sc31=0|sw31=+0.01|sw31_2=—
|party32=[[Alliance of Citizens for Change]]|votes32=9336|seats32=0|votes32_2=11217|seats32_2=0|totseats32=0|sc32=New|sw32=New|sw32_2=—
|party33={{ill|Action Alliance Development Party|af|Action Alliance Development Party}} |votes33=7802|seats33=0|votes33_2=4600|seats33_2=0|totseats33=0|sc33=New|colour33=#B20226|sw33=New|sw33_2=—
|party34={{ill|Conservatives in Action|af|Conservatives in Action}}|votes34=7424|seats34=0|votes34_2=1115|seats34_2=0|totseats34=0|sc34=New|colour34=#0021A8|sw34=New|sw34_2=—
|party35={{ill|South African Royal Kingdoms Organisation|af|South African Royal Kingdoms Organization
}}|votes35=6685|seats35=0|votes35_2=3195|seats35_2=0|totseats35=0|sc35=New|colour35=#957A11|sw35=New|sw35_2=—
|party36={{ill|Northern Cape Communities Movement|af|Northern Cape Communities Movement}}|votes36=6629|seats36=0|votes36_2=7016|seats36_2=0|totseats36=0|sc36=New|colour36=#D94711|sw36=New|sw36_2=—
|party37=[[People's Movement for Change (South Africa)|People's Movement for Change]]|votes37=5539|seats37=0|votes37_2=7045|seats37_2=0|totseats37=0|sc37=New|sw37=New|sw37_2=—
|party38=[[Abantu Batho Congress]]|votes38=5531|seats38=0|votes38_2=3552|seats38_2=0|totseats38=0|sc38=New|sw38=New|sw38_2=—
|party39={{ill|Economic Liberators Forum|af| Economic Liberators Forum South Africa}}|votes39=5408|seats39=0|votes39_2=7115|seats39_2=0|totseats39=0|sc39=New|colour39=#E7BE58|sw39=New|sw39_2=—
|party40=[[Organic Humanity Movement]]|votes40=5241|seats40=0|votes40_2=6457|seats40_2=0|totseats40=0|sc40=New|colour40=#006959|sw40=New|sw40_2=—
|party41=[[African Content Movement]]|votes41=5107|seats41=0|votes41_2=4617|seats41_2=0|totseats41=0|sc41=0|sw41=0.00|sw41_2=—
|party42=[[Sizwe Ummah Nation]]|votes42=5016|seats42=0|votes42_2=4869|seats42_2=0|totseats42=0|sc42=New|sw42=New|sw42_2=—
|party43=[[South African Rainbow Alliance]]|votes43=4796|seats43=0|votes43_2=7645|seats43_2=0|totseats43=0|sc43=New|sw43=New|sw43_2=—
|party44=[[African People's Movement]]|votes44=4601|seats44=0|votes44_2=4200|seats44_2=0|totseats44=0|sc44=New|sw44=New|sw44_2=—
|party45={{ill|Able Leadership|af|Able Leadership}}|votes45=3867|seats45=0|votes45_2=3161|seats45_2=0|totseats45=0|sc45=New|colour45=#929200|sw45=New|sw45_2=—
|party46=[[Referendum Party (South Africa)|Referendum Party]]|votes46=3834|seats46=0|votes46_2=4206|seats46_2=0|totseats46=0|sc46=New|sw46=New|sw46_2=—
|party47={{ill|All Citizens Party|af|All Citizens Party
}}|votes47=3693|seats47=0|votes47_2=1644|seats47_2=0|totseats47=0|sc47=New|colour47=#CE5828|sw47=New|sw47_2=—
|party48={{ill|Africa Africans Reclaim|af|Africa Africans Reclaim}}|votes48=3371|seats48=0|votes48_2=2565|seats48_2=0|totseats48=0|sc48=New|colour48=#EB1D05|sw48=New|sw48_2=—
|party49={{ill|Citizans|af|Citizans}}|votes49=2992|seats49=0|votes49_2=4084|seats49_2=0|totseats49=0|sc49=New|colour49=#122F4F|sw49=New|sw49_2=—
|party50=[[Xiluva]]|votes50=2592|seats50=0|votes50_2=1167|seats50_2=0|totseats50=0|sc50=New|sw50=New|sw50_2=—
|party51={{ill|African Movement Congress|af|African Movement Congress}} |votes51=2141|seats51=0|votes51_2=1550|seats51_2=0|totseats51=0|sc51=New|colour51=#00A400|sw51=New|sw51_2=—
|party52=[[Free Democrats (South Africa)|Free Democrats]]|votes52=1992|seats52=0|votes52_2=2276|seats52_2=0|totseats52=0|sc52=0|sw52=0.00|sw52_2=—
|party53=[[Independent politician|Independents]]|votes53_2=19304|seats53_2=0|totseats53=0|sc53=New|color53={{party color|Independent}}
|invalid=213437|invalid2=156834
|total_sc=0
|electorate=27782081|electorate2=27782081
|source=[https://results.elections.org.za/dashboards/npe/ Electoral Commission of South Africa], [https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/live-blog-election-results-2024-ramaphosa-says-election-outcome-proves-our-democracy-is-strong-e424b252-0be5-4dd2-8290-3574a4e3d5b6 IOL]
}}

==Party Vote by region==
<gallery>
File:South-africa-anc-percent.svg|The ANC's performance by region in the [[2024 South African general election]].
File:South-africa-da-percent-2024.svg|The [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)]] performance by region in the [[2024 South African general election]].
File:South-africa-mk-percent.svg|The [[uMkhonto we Sizwe (political party)]] performance by region.
File:South-africa-eff-percent-2024.svg|The [[Economic Freedom Fighters]] performance by region in the [[2024 South African general election]].
File:South-africa-anc-seat-loss-2024.svg|The ANC's seat loss by region and national ballot in the [[2024 South African general election|2024 election]].
</gallery>

==Human rights==
{{See also|Human rights in South Africa|Constitution of South Africa Chapter 2: Bill of Rights}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2022}}
The constitution's bill of rights provides extensive guarantees, including [[equality before the law]] and prohibitions against discrimination; the [[right to life]], [[privacy]], property, and freedom and security of the person; prohibition against slavery and [[forced labour]]; and [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of religion|religion]], assembly, and association. The legal rights of criminal suspects also are enumerated. It also includes wide guarantees of [[right to food|access of food]], [[right to water|water]], [[right to education|education]], health care, and [[social security]]. The constitution provides for an independent and impartial judiciary, and, in practice, these provisions are respected.

Citizens' entitlements to a safe environment, housing, education and health care are included in the Bill of Rights, and are known as secondary constitutional rights. In 2003 the constitutional secondary rights were used by the [[Treatment Action Campaign]], a [[HIV/AIDS in Africa|HIV/AIDS]] activist group as a means of forcing the government to change its health policy.

Violent crime, including violence against women and children, and organised criminal activity are at high levels and are a grave concern. Partly as a result, [[vigilante]] action and [[mob justice]] sometimes occur.

Some members of the police are accused of applying excessive force and abusing suspects in custody; as a result, the number of deaths in police custody remains a problem.  In April 1997, the government established an Independent Complaints Directorate to investigate deaths in police custody and deaths resulting from police action.

Some [[misogyny|discrimination against women]] continues, although it has improved overall, and [[discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS|discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS]] has been becoming a serious issue.

There has been a growing political intolerance and repression, especially with regard to grassroots activists.<ref>
[http://sabarometerblog.wordpress.com/archive/volume-eight-2010/political-tolerance-on-the-wane-in-south-africa/ Political tolerance on the wane in South Africa], Imraan Buccus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, ''SA Reconciliation Barometer'', 2011</ref><ref>[https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-31-political-repression-in-south-africa/ ‘The Politic of Blood’: Political Repression in South Africa], ''Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research'', Dossier 31, August 2020</ref>

==Notable politicians==
[[Mangosuthu Buthelezi]] was chief minister of his [[KwaZulu|Kwa-Zulu]] homeland from 1976 until 1994. In [[post-apartheid South Africa]] he has served as President of the Inkatha Freedom Party.
He was a Minister in President Mandela's cabinet. He also served as acting President of South Africa when President Nelson Mandela was overseas.

[[Bantubonke Holomisa]], who was a general in the homeland of [[Transkei]] from 1987, has served as the president of the [[United Democratic Movement]] since 1997. Today he is a Member of Parliament.

General [[Constand Viljoen]] was a former chief of the [[South African Defence Force]], who, as a leader of the [[Afrikaner Volksfront]], sent 1500<ref>{{cite book |last1=Waldmeir |first1=Patti |title=Anatomy of a Miracle: The End of Apartheid and the Birth of the New South Africa |date=1998 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-2582-2 |page=232 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2IHKD-FY8YgC&pg=PA232 |language=en}}</ref> of his militiamen to prop up the government of [[Lucas Mangope]] and to contest the termination of [[Bophuthatswana]] as a homeland in 1994.  He co-founded the [[Freedom Front Plus|Freedom Front]] in 1994. He retired from being a Member of Parliament before his death in 2020.

[[Lucas Mangope]], former<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02424/04lv02426/05lv02560.htm|title=Mangope, Lucas Manyane - The O'Malley Archives|website=www.nelsonmandela.org|access-date=2016-09-11}}</ref> chief of the Motsweda Ba hurutshe-Boo-Manyane tribe of the [[Tswana people|Tswana]], ex-president of the former bantustan of [[Bophuthatswana]], was the leader of the [[United Christian Democratic Party]].

==See also==
* [[Internet censorship in South Africa]]
* [[Hate speech laws by country#South Africa|Hate speech laws in South Africa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*South Africa. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Available at https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution-republic-south-africa-1996.
*United Kingdom. South Africa Act, 1909. Available at https://media.law.wisc.edu/s/c_8/jzhy2/cbsa1.pdf
*United Kingdom. Statute of Westminster, 1931. Available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1931/4/pdfs/ukpga_19310004_en.pdf
*United Kingdom. Balfour Declaration, 1926.
*South Africa. Bantu Homeland Citizenship Act, 1970. Available at http://disa.ukzn.ac.za/leg19700309028020026
*South Africa. Constitution of South Africa, Act 200 of 1993. Available at https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/constitution-republic-south-africa-act-200-1993
*South Africa. Status of the Union, Act 69 of 1934.

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Habib |first=Adam  |author-link=Adam Habib |year=2013 |title=South Africa's suspended revolution - Hopes and prospects |publisher=Wits University Press |isbn=978-1-86814-608-6 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Plaut |first1=Martin |last2=Holden |first2=Paul |year=2012 |title=Who Rules South Africa? |publisher=Biteback Publishing |isbn=978-1849544085 }}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Thuynsma |editor-first=Heather  |year=2017 |title=Political Parties in South Africa - Do They Undermine or Underpin Democracy?|publisher=Africa Institute of South Africa |isbn=978-0-7983-0514-3 }}

==External links==
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4493623.stm Dynamics in the slow reform legislations]
* [http://www.idasa.org Institute for Democracy]

{{South African elections}}
{{South Africa topics}}
{{Politics of South Africa navbox}}

{{Africa in topic|Politics of}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of South Africa}}
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Politics of South Africa| ]]