SA heads for constituencies

2003-03-11 13:59

Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - The majority on the Electoral Task Team, which was given a mandate to make recommendations on a new electoral system for South Africa, wanted a 69-constituency system with 300 members, topped up by 100 proportional-list Members of Parliament.

The task team, headed by former opposition leader Dr Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, however, recommended to the cabinet that the present electoral system be retained for the 2004 election.

In the present system, there are 400 MPs in the national assembly, elected on a proportional representation list system without geographically based constituencies.

Speaking at a press briefing at parliament on Tuesday, Van Zyl Slabbert said: "It was clear from the outset that the electoral task team had very limited time in which to exercise is mandate.

"We were appointed less than a year ago, and we are now almost a year away from the next general election...

"Any recommendations for electoral reform, which implied substantial adjustments, did not stand the slightest chance of implementation before the 2004 elections."

Proportional to population density

Van Zyl Slabbert said the majority view of the team was that the number of representatives to be elected in the 69 constituencies - based on the district council and metro council system - should range between three and seven.

The number of MPs in a multimember constituency would be based on the distribution and density of population in municipal districts.

The overall proportionality of the present system would be retained "with any deviation from overall proportionality" to be restored in the 100 MPs elected from national proportional lists, submitted by political parties.

Van Zyl Slabbert said a clear difference of opinion emerged among task team members "as to the possible contribution of an electoral system to accountability".

Must improve accessibility

While the task team was unanimous in its view that no electoral system could guarantee accountability on the part of representatives, the minority - including Zam Titus, special adviser to Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi - felt that any possible contribution would be negligible and could jeopardise the values of fairness, inclusivity and simplicity.

However, the majority - including Van Zyl Slabbert - felt that "some contribution can be made by changes to the electoral system that will improve accessibility and contact between voter and representative."

Van Zyl Slabbert noted that the minority view had won the day for the 2004 election, but "it is my sincere hope that the majority recommendation will be seriously considered" by the new government after 2004.

- I-Net Bridge (Business)