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African Christian Democratic
Party |
African Christian Democratic Party
(Four seats in the National Assembly)
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) was formed in December 1993
with the aim of representing South African Christians in parliament. It
won two seats in 1994 and six in 1999. |
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African National Congress |
African National Congress
(293 seats in the National Assembly)
The South African Native National Congress was founded in 1912 with the
aim to bring together Africans to defend their rights and fight for freedom.
In 1923 its name was changed to the African National Congress (ANC). |
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Azanian Peoples Organisation
|
Azanian People's Organisation
(One seat in the National Assembly)
The Azanian People's Organisation (Azapo) preaches the philosophy of black
emancipation and black consciousness, a philosophy popularised by Steve
Biko, who was killed in police cells in 1977. |
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Democratic Alliance |
Democratic Alliance
(47 seats in the National Assembly)
The Democratic Alliance, formerly known as the Democratic Party (DP),
espouses liberal democracy and free market principles. The party's forerunner
was the Progressive Federal Party (PFP), whose veteran politician Helen
Suzman was its only representative in the white parliament for many years.
Suzman upheld liberal policies in the apartheid-era legislature and spoke
out against apartheid laws. |
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Freedom Front Plus |
Freedom Front Plus
(Four seats in the National Assembly)
The Freedom Front was formed in 1993 by Constand Viljoen, the former chief
of the SA Defence Force. Viljoen came out of retirement to lead a group
of Afrikaners who wanted to form a political party. |
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Independent Democrats |
Independent Democrats
(Five seats in the National Assembly)
The Independent Democrats (ID) is South Africa's newest political party,
formed in March 2003 under the leadership of Patricia de Lille. De Lille
is a former trade unionist and a long-time member of and MP for the Pan
Africanist Congress, which she left to form the ID. Her departure reduced
the PAC's representation in parliament to two delegates. |
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Inkatha Freedom Party |
Inkatha Freedom Party
(23 seats in the National Assembly)
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi, draws its
support largely from Zulu-speaking South Africans. Its strongholds are
the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal and the migrant workers’ hostels
in the metropolitan areas of Gauteng. |
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Minority Front |
Minority Front
(Two seats in the National Assembly)
The Minority Front is led by the maverick Amichand Rajbansi, and claims
to represent the interests of the Indian community. Apart from its two
seats in the National Assembly, the party is also represented in the Durban
metropolitan council. |
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National Democratic Convention |
National Democratic Convention
(Four seats in the National Assembly)
The National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) was formed in September 2005
during the parliamentary floor-crossing window period by four MPs who
had defected from the IFP. It has therefore never actually contested an
election. The party is headed by former IFP national chairperson Ziba
Jiyane, who places an emphasis on "Christian values" and is
said to have the support of former apartheid-era president FW de Klerk.
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New National Party |
New National Party
The New National Party (NNP), formerly the Nationalist Party, ruled South
Africa for the over 40 years of the apartheid era, from 1948 to 1994.
The second-largest party after the first democratic elections in 1994,
its voter base has since abandoned it in large numbers. (In alliance with
ANC) |
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Pan Africanist Congress
|
Pan Africanist Congress
(Three seats in the National Assembly)
The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was formed in 1959 as a breakaway from
the ANC. Influenced by the Africanist ideals of Kwame Nkrumah, it promotes
the return of the land to the indigenous people. |
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SA Communist Party |
SA Communist Party
(Not officially represented in the National Assembly, but a number of
its members occupy seats by virtue of their dual ANC membership)
The South African Communist Party (SACP) was relaunched as an underground
party in 1953 after its predecessor, the Communist Party of South Africa,
was banned in 1950. |
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United Christian Democratic Party |
United Christian Democratic Party
(Three seats in the National Assembly)
The United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) was formed by Lucas Mangope,
head of the apartheid-era "homeland" of Bophuthatswana. Mangope
was among the first homeland leaders to accept so-called independence
for his scattered country for the Setswana-speaking people. The UCDP was
the only party allowed to operate in the territories under his control.
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United Democratic Movement |
United Democratic Movement
(Six seats in the National Assembly)
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) was formed in 1997 by Bantu Holomisa,
who was expelled from the ANC after accusing a top party official of corruption.
Holomisa, the former military strongman in the former homeland of the
Transkei, teamed up with Roelf Meyer, a former Nationalist Party Cabinet
minister, to form a new party. Meyer later left politics to pursue other
interests. |
Other parties |
