Leader of the Opposition (South Africa)

South Africa

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of South Africa

Constitution Bill of Rights Government Executive President Jacob Zuma Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe Cabinet Shadow Cabinet Legislative Parliament National Council of Provinces Chairperson M. J. Mahlangu National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu Leader of the Opposition Helen Zille (national) Lindiwe Mazibuko (parliament) Judiciary Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng Pres. of Supreme Court of Appeal Lex Mpati Courts Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal High Courts Magistrates' Courts Elections General: 1910 1915 1920 1921 1924 1929 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 1981 1984 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 Municipal: 2000 2006 2011 2016 Referendums: 1960 1983 1992 Administrative divisions Provinces Districts (MMs, DMs) Municipalities (list) Other Political parties Foreign relations Taxation

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The Leader of the Opposition in South Africa is a title held by the leader of the largest party, not forming part of the government, in the most important house of Parliament. This was the House of Assembly from 1910 to 1994 and the National Assembly from 1994. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the challenge to the government on the floor of parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government.

The current Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly is Lindiwe Mazibuko of the Democratic Alliance. The national party leader Helen Zille is not a member of the National Assembly, but is the Premier of the Western Cape.

In the list below, when the office is said to be vacant, there was no opposition party with more than ten seats and no clear Leader of the Opposition has been identified. This was the case between the formation of the Hertzog-Smuts coalition in 1933 and the breakaway of the Purified National Party in 1934. It was also the case during the government of National Unity from 1994 until the National Party ministers resigned in 1996.

In some cases the Leader of the Opposition may have been the parliamentary leader only, during a vacancy in the party leadership and the first part of their own tenure, before being confirmed as national party leader by a party congress. Only the last two Leaders of the Opposition in the list have been parliamentary leaders only, whilst the incumbent national party leader was not a member of parliament.

Legal definition

Section 56 of the South Africa Act 1909, was amended by Section 1 (b) of the South Africa Act Amendment Act 1946. A salary was provided for the Leader of the Opposition and the office was given an official definition.

"For the purposes of this section the expression ‘Leader of the Opposition’ shall mean that member of the House of Assembly who is for the time being the Leader in that House of the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength in that House and if there is any doubt as to which is or was at any material time the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength in that House of Assembly, or as to who is or was at any material time the Leader in the House of such a party, the question shall be decided for the purposes of this section by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and his decision, certified in writing under his hand, shall be final and conclusive".

List of Leaders of the Opposition in South Africa

Opposition Leader	Party	Dates in Opposition
Sir (Leander) Starr Jameson	Unionist	1910 - 1912
Sir Thomas William Smartt	Unionist	1912 - 1920
James Barry Munnik Hertzog	National	1920–1924
Jan Christiaan Smuts	South African	1924–1933
vacant	...	1933–1934
Daniel François Malan	Purified National	1934–1940
James Barry Munnik Hertzog	Reunited National	1940
Daniel François Malan	Reunited National	1940–1948
Jan Christiaan Smuts	United	1948–1950
Jacobus Gideon Nel Strauss	United	1950–1956
Sir de Villiers Graaff	United	1956–1977
Radclyffe Cadman	New Republic	1977
Colin Wells Eglin	Progressive Federal	1977–1979
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert	Progressive Federal	1979–1986
Colin Wells Eglin	Progressive Federal	1986–1987
Andries Petrus Treurnicht	Conservative	1987–1993
Ferdinand Hartzenberg	Conservative	1993–1994
vacant	...	1994–1996
Frederik Willem de Klerk	National	1996–1997
Marthinus Christoffel Johannes van Schalkwyk	New National	1997–1999
Anthony James Leon	Democratic;Democratic Alliance (2000)	1999–2007
Celia-Sandra Botha	Democratic Alliance	2007–2008
Athol Trollip	Democratic Alliance	2008–27 October 2011
Lindiwe Mazibuko	Democratic Alliance	27 October 2011–Present

References

• The South African Constitution, by H.J. May (3rd edition 1955, Juta & Co)
• Keesing's Contemporary Archives, various volumes
• Smuts: A Reappraisal, by Bernard Friedman (George, Allen & Unwin 1975) ISBN 0 04 920045
• South Africa 1982 Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa, published by Chris van Rensburg Publications