National Assembly of South Africa - Definition and Overview

The National Assembly is the upper house of the government of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. It consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 Members elected for a five-year term on the basis of a common voters’ roll. It is presided over by a Speaker, assisted by a Deputy Speaker. The current Speaker is Frene Ginwala. The current Deputy Speaker is Baleka Mbete.

The number of National Assembly seats awarded to each political party is in proportion to the outcome of the national election, which is held every five years. In South Africa’s second democratic general election in 1999, the African National Congress won 266 seats. They were followed by the Democratic Party with 38 seats, the Inkatha Freedom Party with 34, the New National Party with 28, and the United Democratic Movement with 14. Other smaller parties are also represented.

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