South Africa: National Assembly floor-crossing outcome 2005
Updated February 2006
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Fourth Amendment Bill, 2002, passed into law in February 2003, permits members of the National Assembly and of the nine Provincial Legislatures to switch their allegiance from one party to another, notwithstanding the fact that the members of these legislatures are elected on political party lists. This may only be done during certain periods and under specific conditions:
- In order to cross the floor from one party to another (or to form a new party, or for two parties to merge) the person concerned, or group of people, must constitute at least 10% of the membership of the party that is being forsaken.
- This floor-crossing may only take place during two periods of 15 days each: "from the first to the fifteenth day of September in the second year following the date of an election of the legislature" and "from the first to the fifteenth day of September in the fourth year following the date of an election of the legislature" (Government of South Africa 2002).
Accordingly, members of the various legislatures elected in April 2004 could, and did, switch party allegiances in September 2005. The following table indicates the outcome of this activity in the National Assembly.
| Party | Seats 2004 [1] |
Seats 2005 [2] |
Gain [2] | Loss [2] | Nett [2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 279 | 293 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Democratic Alliance | 50 | 47 | 2 | 5 | -3 |
| Inkatha Freedom Party | 28 | 23 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| United Democratic Movement | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Independent Democrats | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| New National Party | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -7 |
| African Christian Democratic Party | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Freedom Front + | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| United Christian Democratic Party | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minority Front | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azanian People's Organization | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| National Democratic Convention | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| United Independent Front | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Federation of Democrats | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| United Party of South Africa | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Progressive Independent Movement | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 400 | 400 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
Table notes
[1] Adapted from IEC 2004.
[2] Adapted from PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA 2005.
References
GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA 2002 "Notice: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Fourth Amendment Bill, 2002", [www] [opens new window] (accessed 30 Oct 2007).
IEC 2004 "National Assembly", Report on the National and Provincial Elections, 60, [www] http://www.elections.org.za/papers/143/iec.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 30 Oct 2007)
PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA 2005, "State of Parties after floor-crossing as at 15 September 2005", Library and Information Unit.