President of South Africa

Origins

A number of manifestations of the office of president have existed. Aspects of these offices exist within the presidency today. The executive leadership of the British colonies of Natal and the Cape of Good Hope were vested in their governors. Likewise, it was invested in the presidents of the Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Alternating sovereignty as a result of wars culminated in the Treaty of Vereeniging which concluded the South African War.

The Union of South Africa, a British Dominion, was established on 31 May 1910{{cite web |access-date=29 November 2014 |archive-date=10 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310011550/http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/1900s/1910s |url-status=dead

Following the 1960 referendum and subsequent declaration of the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961, the office of State President was created.{{cite web |access-date=29 November 2014 |archive-date=6 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206040602/http://sahistory.co.za/topic/general-south-african-history-timeline-1960s |url-status=dead

Electoral system

South Africa has a distinctive system for the election of its president. Unlike other former British colonies and dominions who have adopted a parliamentary republican form of government and those that follow the Westminster system, South Africa's president is both head of state and head of government and commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Contrary to presidential systems around the world, the president of South Africa is elected by the Parliament of South Africa rather than by the people directly. They are thus answerable to it in theory and able to influence legislation in practice as head of the majority party.

The president is elected at the first sitting of Parliament after an election, and whenever a vacancy arises. The president is elected by the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, from among its members. The chief justice must oversee the election. Once elected, a person is no longer a member of the National Assembly. They must then be sworn in as president within five days of the election. Should a vacancy arise, the date of a new election must be set by the chief justice, but not more than 30 days after the vacancy occurs.

The Constitution has thus prescribed a system combining both parliamentary and presidential systems in a unique manner. Only Botswana and a few other countries use a similar system. Between 1996 and 2003 Israel combined the two systems in an opposite way, with direct elections for the post of prime minister.

Although the presidency is the key institution, it is hedged about with numerous checks and balances that prevent its total dominance over the government, as was the case in many African countries. The presidential term is five years, with a limit of two terms. Thus the electoral system attempts (at least on paper) to prevent the accumulation of power in the president as occurred during Apartheid and as is the case currently in many other African countries.

Succession

According to chapter five of the constitution, the president can only exercise the powers of the presidential office while within the Republic of South Africa. The president may appoint an acting president when travelling outside the country or unable to fulfill the duties of the office.

A presidential vacancy should be filled first by the deputy president, then a Cabinet minister selected by the president, thereafter a Cabinet minister selected by the Cabinet, and finally by the speaker of the National Assembly.

Presidential powers

The president is the head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence Force. The rights, responsibilities and remuneration of the president are enumerated in Chapter V of the Constitution of South Africa and subsequent amendments and laws passed by the Parliament of South Africa.

The executive powers of the republic are vested in the president, who appoints various officials to positions listed in the Constitution, the most significant of which are the Cabinet ministers and justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court. The president's Cabinet implements and enforces the Constitution and laws and carries out the president's political objectives. Judges are appointed on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.

The president plays a role in the formation of legislation. The president can sign bills into laws or veto legislation (subject to an override), refer bills back to Parliament or to the Constitutional Court, or call for a referendum. The president summons parliament, and often delivers a State of the Nation Address at the beginning of each session.

The president is the commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence Force thereby possessing influence or control over foreign and security policy. The president is accorded the constitutional powers to declare war and make peace, negotiate and sign (although not ratify) treaties (and the alliances that may come with them), and receives and appoints diplomatic officials, confers honours and grants pardons.{{cite web |access-date=29 November 2014 |archive-date=10 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910020352/http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=8 |url-status=dead

Presidents of South Africa since 1994

;Parties

Timeline

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:100 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today =

Colors = id:anc value:rgb(0,0.5,0) legend:African_National_Congress

id:gray1 value:gray(0.85) id:gray2 value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1994 till:$today TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1995 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1994

Legend = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170

TextData = pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political party:"

BarData = bar:Mandela bar:Mbeki bar:Motlanthe bar:Zuma bar:Ramaphosa

PlotData = width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Mandela from: 10/05/1994 till: 16/06/1999 color:anc text:"Nelson Mandela" bar:Mbeki from: 16/06/1999 till: 24/09/2008 color:anc text:"Thabo Mbeki" bar:Motlanthe from: 25/09/2008 till: 09/05/2009 color:anc text:"Kgalema Motlanthe" bar:Zuma from: 09/05/2009 till: 14/02/2018 color:anc text:"Jacob Zuma" bar:Ramaphosa from: 14/02/2018 till: $today color:anc text:"Cyril Ramaphosa"

Lifespan timeline

Define $width = 800 # 4 pixels per year ($end - $start) × 4 Define $warning = 680 # $width - 120 Define $height = 280 # 43 x 20 + 160

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Define $start = 1917 Define $end = 31/12/ Define $now =

ImageSize = width:$width height:$height PlotArea = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60 Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1

Colors = id:bg value:white id:lightline value:rgb(0.9, 0.9, 0.9) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5) id:LIFESPAN value:rgb(0.88, 0.90, 0.70) Legend: Lifespan id:PRES_ANC value:rgb(0, 0.4, 0) Legend: African_National_Congress id:NAME value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05) id:TODAY value:lightpurple

BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:1 start:$start ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1920

Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar

LineData= at:$now color:TODAY width:0.1

PlotData= bar:1 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:18/07/1918 till:10/05/1994 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Nelson Mandela color:PRES_ANC from:10/05/1994 till:14/06/1999 color:LIFESPAN from:14/06/1999 till:05/12/2013

bar:2 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:18/06/1942 till:14/06/1999 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Thabo Mbeki color:PRES_ANC from:14/06/1999 till:24/09/2008 color:LIFESPAN from:24/09/2008 till:$now

bar:3 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:19/07/1949 till:25/09/2008 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Kgalema Motlanthe color:PRES_ANC from:25/09/2008 till:09/05/2009 color:LIFESPAN from:09/05/2009 till:$now

bar:4 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:12/04/1942 till:09/05/2009 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Jacob Zuma color:PRES_ANC from:09/05/2009 till:14/02/2018 color:LIFESPAN from:14/02/2018 till:$now

bar:5 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:17/11/1952 till:15/02/2018 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Cyril Ramaphosa color:PRES_ANC from:15/02/2018 till:$now

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:red pos:($warning,30) text:Updated

TextData = pos:(250,$height) fontsize:L textcolor:black text:"Lifespan of each South African President"

Latest election

Main article: 2024 South African presidential election

References

References

1. (15 March 2019). "Ramaphosa's salary vs other world leaders".
2. "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Chapter 5: The President and National Executive, 88. Term of office of President".
3. "Voting Completed to Elect New President".
4. "Chapter 5 - The President and National Executive".
5. "Botswana".
6. "Elections in South Africa".
7. (14 December 2012). "Succession planning for dummies". Daily Maverick.
8. The Presidency. (14 October 2004). "GCIS: profile information: Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, Mr". GCIS.
9. (25 September 2008). "Cabinet bids farewell to Mbeki". SABC news.
10. (13 September 2008). "Full Zuma Judgment". News24.
11. (12 January 2009). "Judge Nicholson Red-carded by SCA". Mail&Guardian Online.
12. (12 January 2009). "National Director of Public Prosecutions v Zuma (573/08) [2009] ZASCA 1 (12 Jan 2009)". South African Supreme Court of Appeal.
13. (14 January 2009). "Mbeki lashes out at lying politicians". IOL/The Star.