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Government of the Northern Cape

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Government of the Northern Cape
Part ofRepublic of South Africa
ConstitutionConstitution of The Northern Cape
Legislative branch
NameLegislature
TypeUnicameral
Presiding officerNewrene Klaaste,Speaker
Executive branch
Head of stateandgovernment
TitlePremier
CurrentlyZamani Saul
Cabinet
HeadquartersKimberley

TheNorthern Capeprovinceof South Africa is governed in aparliamentary systemin which the people

elect theprovincial legislatureand the legislature, in turn, elects thePremieras head of the executive. The Premier leads anExecutive Councilconsisting of members who oversee variousexecutive departments.The structure of the provincial government is defined bychapter sixof theConstitution of South Africa.

Legislature

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Main article:Northern Cape Provincial Legislature
The provincial legislature is situated in the Galeshewe township of Kimberlely

TheNorthern Cape Provincial Legislature,situated inKimberley,is thelegislative branchof the provincial government. It is aunicamerallegislature of 30 members, elected by a system ofparty-list proportional representation.An election is held every five years, conventionally at the same time as the election of theNational Assembly.

After theelection of 8 May 2019there were eighteen members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) representing theAfrican National Congress,eight representing theDemocratic Alliance,three representing theEconomic Freedom Fightersand one representing theFreedom Front Plus.[1]

Executive

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ThePremier of the Northern Capeis the head of the provincial government, chosen by the members of the provincial parliament from amongst themselves. The Premier appointsMembers of the Executive Council(MECs) to oversee the various departments of the provincial government. The Director-General is the non-political head of the provincial administration, while each department is led by a Head of Department. The current Premier isZamani Saulof theAfrican National Congress.Besides the Premier, the Executive Council consists of ten MECs overseeing eleven departments.

Portfolio MEC Party
Premier Zamani Saul ANC
Sport, Arts and Culture Desery Finies ANC
Transport and Safety Liaison Nomandla Bloem ANC
Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Abraham Vosloo ANC
Health Maruping Lekwene ANC
Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Bentley Vass ANC
Education Zolile Monakali ANC
Land Reform, Agriculture and Nature Conservation and

Environmental Affairs

Mase Manopole ANC
Roads and Public Works Fufe Makatong ANC
Social Development Nontobeko Vilakazi ANC
Youth, Women, Disability, Communications and E-Government Venus Blennies ANC
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of the Northern Cape
Executive Council
Provincial Legislature
Parliament of South Africa
Local government
Local municipalities
Political parties
Judiciary
Northern Cape High Court
Other provinces

Provinces of South Africa

Politics of South Africa

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Departments

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Judiciary

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Main article:Courts of South Africa
Further information:Northern Cape DivisionandMagistrate's Court (South Africa)

South Africa has a single national judiciary; there is no separate system of provincial courts. TheNorthern Cape Divisionof theHigh Court of South Africain Kimberley has jurisdiction over all cases arising in the province, but generally handles only the most serious or high-profile criminal trials, high-value civil trials, cases involvingjudicial reviewof legislation or executive actions, and appeals from the magistrates' courts. Judges of the High Court periodically go on circuit to hear cases in parts of the province distant from Kimberley. Appeals from the High Court are to the nationalSupreme Court of Appealand ultimately (if a constitutional matter is involved) to theConstitutional Court.

The province is divided into 26 magisterial districts and 6 sub-districts, each of which is served by a districtmagistrate's court.There are a further 24 branch and periodical courts to serve geographically dispersed districts. These district courts have jurisdiction over all criminal cases except murder, rape and treason and can impose a fine of up to R100,000 or a prison sentence of up to three years; and they have jurisdiction over civil cases where the value of the claim is less than R100,000. The regional magistrate's court for the Northern Cape, which sits at multiple locations in the province, has jurisdiction over all criminal cases except treason and can impose a fine of up to R300,000 or a prison sentence of up to fifteen years (or life in some circumstances). The regional court also has jurisdiction over civil cases where the value of the claim is less than R300,000, and divorce and family law cases.

Local government

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Further information:List of municipalities in the Northern Cape
The division of the Northern Cape into municipalities.

As of 2016, the Northern Cape is divided into fivedistrict municipalitieswhich are subdivided into twenty-sixlocal municipalities.The municipalities are listed below.

See also

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References

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  1. ^"ANC comes out tops in Northern Cape".IOL.10 May 2019.Retrieved8 November2019.
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