Government of Gauteng
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Gauteng |
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The government of Gauteng province in South Africa consists of a unicameral legislature elected by proportional representation, and an executive branch headed by a Premier who is elected by the legislature.
Legislature
The provincial legislature is a unicameral body of 73 members elected by a system of party-list proportional representation. The legislature is elected for a term of five years, unless it is dissolved early. By convention elections to the provincial legislature are held at the same time as elections to the National Assembly. The legislature meets in the Johannesburg City Hall.
The most recent elections were held on 7 May 2014, and were won by the African National Congress (ANC) which obtained 40 of the 73 seats on the legislature. The composition of the legislature is as follows:
Party | Seats | |
---|---|---|
African National Congress | 40 | |
Democratic Alliance | 23 | |
Economic Freedom Fighters | 8 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 1 | |
Inkatha Freedom Party | 1 |
Executive
The head of the provincial executive is the Premier of Gauteng, who is a member of the provincial legislature elected by the legislature. The Premier appoints an Executive Council who are a cabinet overseeing the executive departments.
As of May 2014 the Premier is David Makhura of the ANC, and the ten members of the Executive Council are described in the following table.
Portfolio | MEC | Department(s) |
---|---|---|
Agriculture and Rural Development | Faith Mazibuko | Agriculture and Rural Development |
Community Safety | Sizakele Emelda Nkosi-Malobane | Community Safety |
Economic Development | Lebogang Maile | Economic Development |
Education | Andrek Panyaza Lesufi | Education |
Finance | Barbara Creecy | Finance Provincial Treasury |
Health and Social Development | Qedani Mahlangu | Health Social Development |
Infrastructure Development | Nandi Mayathula-Khoza | Infrastructure Development |
Local Government and Housing | Jacob Mamabolo | Local Government and Traditional Affairs Housing |
Roads and Transport | Ismail Vadi | Roads and Transport |
Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation | Molebatsi Frances Bopape | Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation |
Courts
South Africa has a single national court system and the provinces do not have their own courts. The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, which has seats in Pretoria and Johannesburg, has jurisdiction over all cases arising in the province. However, most cases are first heard in one of the over 25 district magistrates' courts or in the regional magistrate's court for the province. Appeals from the magistrates' courts are to the High Court, and appeals from the High Court are to the Supreme Court of Appeal or the Constitutional Court.
Administrative divisions
Gauteng is divided into three metropolitan municipalities and two district municipalities. The district municipalities are in turn divided into a total of seven local municipalities. These municipalities are:
- City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
- City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
- Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
- Sedibeng District Municipality, consisting of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Lesedi Local Municipality and Midvaal Local Municipality
- West Rand District Municipality, consisting of Merafong City Local Municipality, Mogale City Local Municipality, Randfontein Local Municipality and Westonaria Local Municipality
See also
- Government of South Africa
- Provincial governments of South Africa
- Politics of Gauteng