A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 400 seats in the National Assembly 201 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of South Africa |
|---|
.svg) |
 South Africa portal |
The 2024 National and Provincial Elections or the General elections will be held in South Africa on 29 May 2024 to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of the nine provinces.[1][2] This will be the seventh general election held under the conditions of universal adult suffrage since the end of the apartheid era in 1994. The new National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will be elected at the first sitting of each provincial legislature.
Since the inaugural post-apartheid election in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has continuously achieved a majority in both chambers of the South African Parliament: the National Assembly (lower house) and the National Council of Provinces (upper house).
The date of the elections are set by the incumbent President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and must be within 90 days of the end of the term of the current Parliament.[3] It was announced on 20 February 2024 that the election would be held on 29 May 2024.[4]
Background
In the 2021 South African municipal elections, the African National Congress received less than 50% of the vote for the first time nationwide in any election since the end of apartheid.[5] The party also lost support in the key metros of Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and eThekwini (Durban). The ANC retained control of eThekwini while the Democratic Alliance managed to take control of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni through a majority coalition and a minority coalition respectively, in addition to forming a majority coalition government in Tshwane, which it had governed since 2016.[6]
In early 2023, the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters formed a coalition in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni where the two parties hold MMC positions whilst electing a mayor from a minority party.[7] In April 2023, noting the prospects of an ANC/EFF national coalition, the DA leader John Steenhuisen called for "like-minded" parties to join together to prevent a "doomsday coalition".[8]
Whilst polls may claim to be so called nationally representative, due to proliferation of polling technology in recent years, the rigour of the methodology may not be solid and healthy skepticism is justified. According to various opinion polls, support for the ANC has declined leading to expectations of a hung parliament.[9]
Multi-Party Charter
On 17 August 2023, the pre-election agreement called the Multi-Party Charter was signed between the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), ActionSA and 3 other parties with the aim of presenting a united front against the three-decade rule of the African National Congress (ANC) party and the recent rise of the controversial Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party).[10][11] On 7 October 2023, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) announced it would be joining the charter increasing the charter's seat count from 108 to 112 in the 400 seat National Assembly.[12]
The Spectrum National Party, Ekhethu People's Party and Unemployed National Party[13] were the three constituent parties of the Multi-Party Charter that failed to meet the Independent Electoral Commission's minimum number of signatures required to contest seats in the National Assembly.[14]
uMkhonto we Sizwe
On 16 December 2023, former President Jacob Zuma announced his departure from the ANC, accusing the party and incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa of serving as a "proxy for white monopoly capital." He also announced establishment of his own political party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the apartheid-era military wing of the ANC.[15] The latter filed a lawsuit against the MK's registration in the Electoral Commission of South Africa, which was dismissed by the Electoral Court of South Africa on 26 March 2024 due to lack of merit. The ANC also plans to file a lawsuit against the party's naming after the historic MK.[16] According to opinion polling, MK could become the kingmakers after the elections.[17]
On 28 March 2024, the Electoral Commission barred Zuma from standing in the election, citing a previous criminal conviction.[18] MK appealed the ruling,[19] with Zuma's lawyers arguing that the conviction was of a civil nature, and the decision was overturned by the Electoral Court on 9 April,[20] permitting Zuma to stand.[21] On 12 April, the Electoral Commission announced that it would approach the Constitutional Court for clarity on Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution, the provision used to uphold the initial objection against Zuma.[22] On 30 April, police launched an investigation into whether the MK had forged signatures in order to be able to register for the election.[23] On 20 May, Zuma was ruled ineligible to stand for the election by the Constitutional Court, citing his criminal conviction.[24]
Voter turnout
Voter turnout has been decreasing since the end of Apartheid, when 86% of eligible voters turned out.[25] For this election, 27 million people are eligible to vote.[26]
Electoral system
South Africa has a parliamentary system of government. The President of South Africa is unusual among heads of state of countries with a parliamentary system in that the head of government, who holds executive powers, is titled President and also plays the ceremonial role of head of state.
In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled in New Nation Movement NPC v President of the Republic of South Africa that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it did not allow independents to contest national and provincial elections.[27] Since the first elections held under universal suffrage, 400 members elected were elected to the National Assembly by a system of proportional representation with a closed list approach. Two hundred members were elected from national party lists, while the other 200 were elected from provincial party lists in each of the nine provinces. The national list seats were awarded by subtracting seats won at the provincial level from each party's national allocation to generate a maximally proportional result. The Droop quota variant of the largest remainder method was used to allocate seats at both the national and provincial levels.[28] Provincial legislatures were also elected by a system of proportional representation with closed party lists.
In February 2021, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi appointed a ministerial advisory committee led by Valli Moosa to recommend a new electoral system.[29] While the committee was divided, a slim majority of members favoured a hybrid mixed-member proportional system, with half of the seats elected in constituencies and the other half elected through party lists.[30]
Regional ballot
The regional ballot is one of the three ballots used in South Africa's national elections, alongside the national ballot and provincial ballot. It is used to elect representatives to the National Assembly from each of the country's nine provinces. The regional ballot is proportional, meaning that seats are allocated to parties and independent candidates based on the number of votes received.[31]
National Assembly regional seats[32]