Election changes on the cards for South Africa
For the third time in the country’s democratic history, South Africa has embarked on a process to assess the viability of reform to the country’s electoral system.
The ideas from the previous two attempts were seen to either be ‘limited’ in its scope or disregarded in its entirety.
Thus far, successive South African elections since 1994 have used a party list proportional representation electoral system, in terms of which members of the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures are elected from the lists submitted by political parties to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
South Africa’s electoral system for National and Provincial Elections is derived from the Electoral Act, as recently amended by the Electoral Amendment Act of 2023, to allow for the inclusion of independent candidates.
One of the amendments provided for the establishment of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel (ERCP).
According to the Act, the role of the ERCP is “to independently investigate, consult on, report on and make recommendations in respect of potential reforms of the electoral system for the election of the National Assembly and the election of the Provincial Legislatures.”
The National Assembly in May 2024 approved the appointment of nine experts in the fields of academia, law, governance and election administration to undertake the process of consultation and produce a report with recommendations of possible electoral systems.
These recommendations are for the 2029 National and Provincial Elections.
Established in August 2024, the ERCP is currently receiving submissions from the public on why, how and whether the current system should be changed.
The nine-member panel, chaired by Advocate Richard Sizani, has 12 months to complete its work and deliver its findings to Parliament, which will then make a determination on a way forward.
The six guiding principles for the reform are: inclusivity, fairness, accountability, simplicity, electoral manageability and transparency.
Although no principle takes precedence, Sizani said that many submissions thus far have raised concerns around accountability in South Africa’s electoral system.
“People are saying that we want to know our MP, we want to know our councillor in the local government sense and we want to be able to recall them, we want to be able to call them and we want to be able to hold them accountable,” said Sizani.
He added that there are concerns over “party bosses who are dominating the system and are able to even undermine Parliament,” citing the changing of some MP lists following the election.
Speaking to the SABC, lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, Dr. Sithembile Mbete said that it was unfortunate that the panel is starting its work without the benefit of evidence-based research regarding society’s views on the current system.
She cited the 2002 survey done by the Van-Zyl Slabbert commission (the first look into electoral reform).
“We haven’t had a similar kind of targeted survey… in 22 years and I don’t think that the panel currently has got the time to do that,” said Mbete.
“The point I’m trying to make is that we actually have aggregated very little about what are people’s issues with the system; what is it that they like, what is it that they don’t like, what is it that they want to change… and I think that a discussion document is going to be a really great opportunity to broaden the debate a bit more,” she added.
Mbete emphasised that it is critical for the public to keep the pressure on the panel, Minister of Home Affairs and the relevant parliamentary committee to make sure that the process is not stalled ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The panel will also hold extensive public consultations, which will later lead up to the production of a report, which must be submitted to the Minister of Home Affairs by 31 May 2025 and be tabled before Parliament within 30 days for its consideration.
“The ERCP respectfully calls and requests members of the public, as individuals or through organisations to which they belong, to make submissions on why, how and whether the current South African electoral system should be reformed, changed or even replaced with another one,” the panel said.
The period for written submissions has been extended to 31 October 2024.
Have your say
All the submissions should be addressed to Advocate Richard K Sizani, the Chairperson of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel and may be forwarded in any of the following ways:
1. Delivered by hand to House 1, Ministry of Home Affairs, 909 Arcadia Street, Hatfield, Pretoria.
2. Delivered by hand to the nearest Home Affairs office.
3. Mailed to Electoral Reform Consultation Panel at Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001.
4. Emailed to [email protected].
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