POLITICAL SYSTEM

South Africa has a vibrant multiparty political system, with 13 parties represented in the National Assembly of Parliament.
The African National Congress (ANC) is the majority party, with 264 of the 400 National Assembly seats. The party controls eight of the country's nine provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Democratic Alliance won the majority in the 2009 elections. The ANC also controls five of the six metropolitan municipalities. Nonetheless, South Africa's opposition parties remain robust and vocal.
South Africa's Parliament is made up of two houses: the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The National Assembly is the more influential, passing legislation and overseeing executive performance. Its members are elected for a term of five years.
All South African citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote, if they register to do so. So far, South Africa has had fully inclusive democratic elections in 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009. Before 1994, only white South Africans were allowed to vote for the national government.

President of South Africa