Composition of Upper House

Updated October 2007

Country Legislature
ANGOLA No upper house
BOTSWANA House of Chiefs
Not strictly an upper house, but an advisory body that is included for completeness. Five year term and 15 seats
  • 8 Chiefs of the eight principle tribes
  • 4 members elected by sub-chiefdoms
  • 3 members elected by the House
DRC Senate
Five year term
  • 104 seats elected by the Provincial Assemblies by proportional representation; 8 by Kinshasa and 4 each by 24 provinces
  • Past elected Presidents are ex officio members
LESOTHO Senate
Five year term and 33 seats
  • 22 Principle Chiefs
  • 11 nominated by King on advice of Council of State
MADAGASCAR Senate
Five year term and 90 seats
  • 60 elected in each of the six provinces (10 each), by proportional representation by an electoral college consisting of provincial councillors (elected by direct universal suffrage) and the mayors; in future they will be elected by the 22 regions that replace the provinces which have been abolished
  • 30, with specialist competencies in economic, social, cultural or judicial matters, are appointed by the President on the nomination of legally constituted organizations and groups
MALAWI No upper house
MAURITIUS No upper house
MOZAMBIQUE No upper house
NAMIBIA National Council
Six year term and 26 seats; two members elected by each of 13 Regional Councils
SEYCHELLES No upper house
SOUTH AFRICA National Council of Provinces
Five year term and 90 seats; 10 nominated by each of the 9 provincial legislatures. Members of delegation allocated to parties in proportion to their seats in provincial legislature. Each delegation has one vote
SWAZILAND Senate
Five year term and 30 members; half of each group must be women:
  • 20 appointed by King
  • 10 members elected by House of Assembly
TANZANIA No upper house
ZAMBIA No upper house
ZANZIBAR No upper house
ZIMBABWE Senate
Five year term and 93 seats:
  • 60 single member plurality constituencies, 6 from each of 10 provinces
  • 10 provincial governors
  • President and Deputy President of the Council of Chiefs
  • 16 chiefs elected by their peers (two from each of the non-metropolitan provinces)
  • 5 appointed by President