Summary
After being constituted in early 2001, the Electoral Task Team (ETT) appointed by Cabinet to explore alternative electoral systems for South Africa tabled its report to the South African Cabinet in March 2003.
The findings of the ETT consisted of a minority and a majority report. While the minority report supported the current electoral system, the majority of the ETT was of the view that some form of constituency input and accountable representation was necessary.
The system proposed was a multiple-member closed-list proportional system spread over numerous constituencies where there would be, depending on the number of voters in the constituency, between three and seven public representatives. Importantly, the voters in the constituency must have a say as to who these representatives are and, if at all possible, the representatives should come from the constituency which they represent.
However the report’s proposals were not taken into consideration by the then members of the Cabinet. Instead, a decision was taken that the new government could revisit the report after the 2004 election, if it so wished.
Thus far, there has been no indication that there is the willingness to do so. And yet the current electoral system - which is a closed-list proportional system - disempowers the voter to the extent that he or she has no way of calling individual members of Parliament to account for their actions or lack of such.
Electoral Task Team
Report of the Electoral Task Team, January 2003
Download the complete report (pdf, 107 pages, 4.3 MB)