South African government is organized into three spheres: national, provincial, and local. The Constitution specifies the responsibilities of each sphere. Each sphere’s government has a political and administrative arm.
National Government: Creates laws and policies for the country, as well as providing services that fit under national competencies (e.g. issuing of ID books).
The three branches of national government are the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
Provincial Government: According to the Constitution, each province has its own legislature, which consists of 30 to 80 members. The number of members is decided by a formula outlined in national legislation, and they are elected via proportional representation.
A provincial legislature may create a constitution for its province if two-thirds of its members agree, in addition to making provincial laws. The provincial constitution must be in accordance with the federal constitution.
Each province has an executive council made up of a premier and members of the executive council (MECs) in charge of provincial departments. Premiers are chosen by their respective provincial legislatures. MECs are referred to as Provincial Ministers in the Western Cape’s Provincial Constitution.
Municipalities’ roles include providing essential services such as water, rubbish collection, and sanitation, as well as promoting a safe and healthy environment and community development.
The Constitution establishes three types of municipalities. South Africa has 278 municipalities, including 8 metropolitan, 44 district, and 226 local municipalities.
You can also engage in government decision-making on a continuous basis, not just during elections.
How are the three branches of government interconnected?
According to the Constitution, the three realms must aid and support one another, share information, and coordinate their actions. Policy and government program implementation necessitates tight collaboration between government sectors, particularly at the executive level.
South Africa has what kind of governance system?
South Africa is a parliamentary representative democratic republic with a multi-party system in which the President of South Africa is elected by parliament.
