Provincial governments
South Africa's government is divided into a legislative body (Parliament), Executive body ( the Cabinet, who are also members of Parliament) and independent Judiciary (the Courts). The Cabinet ministers are the ones who make sure the government process is carried out according to the laws that have been passed in Parliament. For example the Minister of Education must make sure that the education in the country meets good standards and that the schools and universities run smoothly. Parliament is where the country’s laws are made. Because we live in a democracy, we vote for the parties we want to represent us in Parliament.
The South African Parliament has two bodies or groups. The one is called the National Assembly. There are 350 – 400 people in the National Assembly. They are called Members of Parliament, or MPs for short. The other body is called the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The NCOP has 90 members, 10 from each province. This council is supposed to make sure that every province has a say in Parliament.
In other words, the national government looks something like this:
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Every province also has its own government. The provincial cabinet is called the Executive Council. The leader of the province is the premier, and he or she is also part of the National Parliament. The provincial parliament is called the Provincial Legislature. The provincial governments make laws for the provinces in harmony with the laws made in the National Parliament. They must also make sure that the national laws are applied in their provinces.
Activity At home, ask your parents if they know who the current premiers are of the 9 provinces. If they can’t help you, try to find out yourself by using the internet or by asking your neighbors. Also answer these questions in your note book: |