Free State Provincial Legislature Explained

Background Color:Green
Free State Provincial Legislature
Native Name:

Legislature:7th Legislature
Coa Pic:Free State Legislature seal.jpg
Coa Res:200px
House Type:Unicameral
Leader1 Type:Speaker
Leader1:Mxolisi Dukwana
Party1:ANC
Election1:27 June 2024[1]
Leader2 Type:Deputy Speaker
Leader2:Nolitha Ndungane
Party2:ANC
Election2:27 June 2024
Leader3:Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae
Party3:ANC
Election3:14 June 2024
Leader4 Type:Leader of the Opposition
Leader4:Roy Jankielsohn
Party4:DA
Election4:21 May 2014[2]
Structure1:South Africa_Free State_Parliament_2024.svg
Structure1 Res:220px
Members:30
Political Groups1:Government (16)

Official Opposition (7)

Other parties (7)

Voting System1:Party-list proportional representation
Last Election1:29 May 2024
Meeting Place:Legislative Chamber, Vierde Raadsaal, Bloemfontein
Session Room:Legislative chamber, Free State parliament (6461110525).jpg
Website:Free State Legislature

The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition and elects the Premier of the Free State, who in turn selects the members of the Executive Council of the Free State.

Powers

The Free State Provincial Legislature chooses the Premier of the Free State, the head of the Free State's provincial executive. The legislature can force the Premier to resign by passing a motion of no confidence. Although the Executive Council is chosen by the Premier, the legislature may pass a motion of no confidence to force the Premier to change the composition of the Council. The legislature also appoints Free State's delegates to the National Council of Provinces, allocating delegates to parties in proportion to the number of seats each party holds in the legislature.

The legislature has the power to pass legislation in numerous fields specified in the national constitution, including include health, education (except universities), agriculture, housing, environmental protection, and development planning. In some fields, legislative power is shared with the national parliament, while in other fields it is reserved to the Free State alone.

The legislature oversees the administration of the Free State provincial government, and the Premier and the members of the Executive Council are required to report to the legislature on the performance of their responsibilities. The legislature also manages the finances of the provincial government by way of the appropriation bills which determine the Free State's provincial budget.

Election

The provincial legislature consists of 30 members, who are elected through a system of party-list proportional representation with closed lists. The most recent election was held on 29 May 2024. The following table summarises the results.

Party Votes Vote % Seats
429,241 51.87 16
181,062 21.887
111,850 13.524
24,933 3.01 1
15,9851.931
15,1201.831
Other parties 49,321 5.96 0
Total 827,512 100.0 30

The following table shows the composition of the provincial parliament after past elections. The African National Congress has held a majority in the legislature since 1994, while the Democratic Alliance has been the official opposition since 2014, when it displaced the Congress of the People.

Party1994199920042009201420192024
African Christian Democratic Party0 0 1 0 0 0 0
African Congress for Transformation1
African National Congress24 25 25 22 22 19 16
Congress of the People4000
Democratic Alliance / Democratic Party0 2 3 3 5 6 7
Economic Freedom Fighters2 4 4
Freedom Front Plus / Freedom Front2 1 1 1 1 1 1
New National Party / National Party4 2 0
UMkhonto we Sizwe1
Total30

Officers

The following people have served as Speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature.

NameTerm startTerm endParty
Motlalepula Chabaku[3] 19941998ANC
Joel Mafereka19982001ANC
Jani Mohapi20012002ANC
Mxolisi Dukwana20022008ANC
Ouma Tsopo20132014ANC
Sisi Mabe20142014ANC
Mamiki Qabathe20152019ANC
Zanele Sifuba20192024ANC
Mxolisi Dukwana2024IncumbentANC

Members

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-06-27 . Nothing controversial about being elected Free State Speaker: Dukwana . 2024-07-01 . en-US.
  2. https://www.pa.org.za/person/r-jankielsohn/ Roy Jankielsohn
  3. Executive Summary: Provincial 10 Year Review Implementation Report