South Africa's National Assembly has passed a sweeping electoral reform bill that for the first time allows independent candidates to contest seats in the National Assembly, ending a decades-long system in which all parliamentary representatives were required to stand on party lists.
The Electoral Matters Amendment Act, approved by 268 votes to 111 after eighteen months of fraught negotiations within the Government of National Unity, implements a Constitutional Court ruling from 2020 that found the existing system unconstitutional.
Under the new law, independent candidates will be able to contest constituency seats in a parallel system alongside proportional representation party lists. The reform is expected to take effect at the 2029 general election, giving the Independent Electoral Commission time to redesign the ballot and redraw constituency boundaries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill into law at a ceremony in Cape Town, describing it as "a milestone in the deepening of our constitutional democracy." He acknowledged that the reform represented a compromise between parties with competing interests but said it reflected the GNU's capacity for constructive politics.
The Democratic Alliance supported the bill enthusiastically, viewing independent candidates as a potential check on party patronage networks. The Economic Freedom Fighters voted against it, arguing that the reform would weaken collective party mandates.
Electoral experts say the change could significantly reshape South African politics by allowing prominent community figures and professionals to enter parliament without party affiliation, potentially drawing voters away from both the ANC and smaller opposition parties.
