South Africa General Elections Begin

Africa | South Africa May 29, 2024

South Africans on May 29, 2024, headed to polling stations to cast their votes in the country's 2024 General Elections. The elections entail national ballot, regional ballot, and provincial ballot.

Photo: Downtown Tswane, South Africa

In the national and regional ballots, voters are voting for members of the country's National Assembly, while in the provincial ballot, they are voting for members of the country's Provincial Assemblies alias Provincial Legislatures.

It is imperative to bring into attention that South Africa has a parliamentary representative multi-party democratic system. Under this electoral system, voters there do not vote for individuals. Instead they vote for political parties. Voters do not therefore elect members of the National Assembly (MPs) or next president of South Africa directly. As such, in the general elections MPs and the next president will be elected as thus.

On the one hand, political parties will be allocated seats in the 400-seat National Assembly proportional to the number of votes they received in the national and regional ballots. In other words, the number of votes received by a political party in the national and regional ballots will be translated into a proportion of the 400 seats in the National Assembly. Allocated seats will then be given to candidates on the parties' candidate lists that were submitted prior to the beginning of the general elections.

On the other hand, the next president will be elected by the National Assembly after its 400 new elected members (MPs) have been sworn in. That means that the political party that won majority in the house may be able to vote its presidential nominee into the country's top political position. In case no party managed to win a majority, coalition of political parties may do that instead.

Within the above context, more than 10 political parties are said to be contesting in the ongoing general elections in South Africa, for, among others, seats in the National Assembly. However, the major showdown at the ballot place is likely to be between the ruling party African National Congress (ANC), the main opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA), and probably the left party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Results of the general elections will be announced by the country's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on June 2, 2024, according to some sources.

_______________________

© 2015 - 2024 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved