Judges are appointed by the President of the republic with the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Government and politics Last elections: April 2009 Next elections: 2014 Head of State: President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma Head of Government: the President Ruling party: African National Congress In the third democratic general election, in April 2004, the African National Congress (ANC) won a decisive mandate, securing 70 per cent of the votes, while the Democratic Alliance took 12 per cent and the Inkatha Freedom Party seven per cent. The ANC achieved a majority in seven of the nine provinces and gained the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution, though they had not promised any changes in their manifesto. In December 2007, Jacob Zuma defeated President Thabo Mbeki in the ANC leadership elections, paving the way for his candidacy in the 2009 presidential elections. In the same month, the ANC National Executive Committee ‘recalled’ Mbeki from the presidency, he resigned, and parliament elected ANC deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe to succeed him. A new political party, the Congress of the People (COPE), was launched in December 2008 under the leadership of Mosiuoa Lekota, former chairman of the ANC and a close ally of Mbeki. Facing the challenge of COPE and the Democratic Alliance, the ANC nevertheless won 66 per cent of votes in the parliamentary elections in April 2009. The Democratic Alliance, led by Helen Zille, received 17 per cent of votes and COPE seven per cent. At the first sitting of the National Assembly in May 2009, Zuma was formally elected President; and he then appointed Motlanthe Deputy President. COPE’s candidate in the presidential contest was Bishop Mvume Dandala rather than its leader, Lekota. Local government Ministry: Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Association: South African Local Government Association There are three spheres of government in the Republic South Africa: central, provincial and local, as provided for by the constitution. Each of the nine provinces has its own elected legislature. Provincial and local government are provided for by many Acts, and enshrined in the constitution. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is responsible for both provincial and local government. S o u t h Af r i c a Local government comprises eight metropolitan municipalities and 44 two-tier district municipalities, with 228 local municipalities in the second tier. Provincial and local elections are held every five years. The provincial and local authorities have revenue-raising powers, as well as receiving grants from national government. The local authorities are responsible for a broad range of local services such as public health; waste management; utilities; and transport. Partnerships between municipalities and councils are quite usual. National development plan The National Planning Commission (NPC) was given a mandate in February 2011 to develop a long-term vision and strategic plan for South Africa. The NPC is chaired by the minister in the presidency for national planning and its mandate includes country-wide consultation. Among the first documents the NPC released, in June 2011, was a detailed ‘diagnostic overview’ which aimed to Governance institutions Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 273 Independent Electoral Commission: www.elections.org.za Parliament of the Republic of South Africa: www.parliament.gov.za Supreme Court of Appeal: www.justice.gov.za/sca National Planning Commission: www.npconline.co.za Public Protector: www.publicprotector.org National Anti-Corruption Forum: www.nacf.org.za Special Investigating Unit: www.siu.org.za Department of Public Service and Administration: www.dpsa.gov.za Auditor-General: www.agsa.co.za Presidency: www.thepresidency.gov.za Department of Justice and Constitutional Development: www.justice.gov.za Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs: www.cogta.gov.za National Treasury: www.treasury.gov.za Department of Trade and Industry: www.thedti.gov.za South African Local Government Association: www.salga.org.za South African Reserve Bank: www.reservebank.co.za Johannesburg Stock Exchange: www.jse.co.za Bureau of Standards: www.sabs.co.za Financial Services Board: www.fsb.co.za Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority: www.psira.co.za Independent Communications Authority: www.icasa.org.za National Energy Regulator: www.nersa.org.za
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