South Africa has a bicameral parliament, meaning it consists of two legislative houses. The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and the National Assembly are the two parliamentary chambers where laws in South Africa are made and debated, respectively. The NCOP plays an advisory role to the National Assembly while the latter makes the laws, with both houses reporting to the president of South Africa, who also serves as head of state and represents South Africa internationally. In addition to their legislative responsibilities, these parliamentarians also make public policy decisions through committees, which carry out research on various topics before presenting their findings to the rest of parliament.
The National Assembly
South African law is made by the National Assembly. The National Assembly consists of 400 members, who are elected to serve five-year terms. Every new parliament begins with a general election, which usually happens every five years. A general election is where people vote for the National Assembly members who will represent them in the government for a specific period of time.
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP)
The National Council of Provinces, which is made up of members from all the provinces and regions of South Africa, makes laws for the country. It’s a national government institution with responsibility for law-making. The NCOP has an important role to play as it scrutinizes bills passed by the National Assembly before they become law.
What Are the Basic Parts of a Law?
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa is the supreme law of the country. The Constitution establishes an ordered democratic society based on freedom and equality. The Bill of Rights protects democracy by safeguarding a range of fundamental rights, including a free press, free speech, religious tolerance and minority rights. The National Assembly (Parliament) makes laws at the national level. Provincial legislatures make laws for their provinces; municipal councils make laws for their municipalities. Judges may also make laws when interpreting legislation or deciding certain cases.
