Answer to Question #190098 in Law for lerato maluleka

Question

system of proportional representation and what it means for the south african electoral system

Answer 1

Proportional representation is a system used to elect a country's government. This means the results of an election decide directly how many seats each party has got. Decisions are then made by the people who are elected. Elections in South Africa are held for the National Assembly, provincial legislatures and municipal councils. Elections follow a five-year cycle, with national and provincial elections held simultaneously and municipal elections held two years later. The electoral system is based on party-list proportional representation, which means that parties are represented in proportion to their electoral support. For municipal councils there is a mixed-member system in which wards elect individual councilors alongside those named from party lists.