National Assembly
The National Assembly is the lower house of South Africa's bicameral Parliament and the primary legislative body of the country. It comprises 400 members elected through a system of proportional representation for five-year terms. The Assembly sits in Cape Town and is responsible for passing legislation, overseeing the executive branch, and holding government accountable. Members of the National Assembly elect the President of South Africa from among their ranks, and the President must maintain the confidence of the Assembly to remain in office. The Assembly has the power to pass votes of no confidence in the President or Cabinet, initiate and amend legislation, and approve the national budget. It works alongside the National Council of Provinces, which represents provincial interests, to form the national legislature. The Speaker of the National Assembly presides over proceedings and maintains order during debates. The Assembly's composition reflects the outcome of national elections, with seats allocated to political parties in proportion to the votes they receive. Since South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, the National Assembly has been the central forum for political debate and lawmaking in the country. Its proceedings are public and subject to constitutional oversight by the Constitutional Court.
National Assembly Updates
DA seeks Debate of National Importance, after Ramaphosa fails to release Water Crisis Action Plan
5th June 2026 Yesterday, the President missed the deadline to publicly release the National Water Crisis Action Plan. Following the President's repeated... →
SA: Cyril Ramaphosa: Address by South Africa's President, Reply to debate on Presidency Dept Budget Vote 2026/27, Parliament, Cape Town (03/06/2026)
5th June 2026 South Africans expect of all of us not simply to diagnose the country’s problems, but to work together to solve them. They expect leadership,... →
National Assembly passes Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Amendment Bill
5th June 2026 The National Assembly has, during its sitting today, passed the Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Amendment Bill. The Bill amends the... →
Parliament on false allegations regarding the Speaker's role in the Section 89 process
2nd June 2026 The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, rejects in the strongest terms the false, unwarranted and defamatory allegations made by... →
Why I left the PA to re-join the DA
2nd June 2026 Many will ask, “Why come back now?” “You are a flip-flopper”, and so on. Well, the fact is: I should NEVER have left the DA in the first place. →
NCOP passes the Division of Revenue Bill
27th May 2026 The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has passed the Division of Revenue Bill during a hybrid plenary sitting today. The Bill was tabled by the... →
Parliament statement on the Impeachment Committee membership
26th May 2026 The Speaker of the National Assembly has received the names of Members from political parties who will serve on the Impeachment Committee. The... →
Public Service Committee says government training programmes must translate into better services
25th May 2026 The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has again called for compulsory training in consequence management and anti-corruption... →
Analyst warns Parly ‘accountability failures’ risk politicising courts 
By: Thabi Shomolekae 21st May 2026 Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni’s critique of what he says are Parliament's accountability failures, following the recent landmark Constitutional... →
ActionSA pushes for expanded impeachment inquiry
By: Thabi Shomolekae 19th May 2026 ActionSA has written to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza demanding formal confirmation that the revived Section 89 Impeachment Committee will... →
