Sa's new president
South Africa's fourth democratically elected President will be inaugurated during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9th May, before giving his first State of the Nation address, outlining the new administration's programme of action, on 3rd June...
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by heads of state from around the world, as well as representatives of international organisations such as the United Nations, the African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community.
Thousands of people are expected to gather on the Union Building lawns to witness the ceremony, while the organisers will placed 100 giant television screens with live up-links across the country for those who cannot attend.
Ahead of the inauguration, South Africa's National Assembly will have its first sitting in Cape Town on 6th May, when Chief Justice and the Head of the Constitutional Court Pius Langa will swear in the new Cabinet and Members of Parliament.
The first sitting of the National Council of Provinces will take place on 7th May.
South Africa's Parliament is made up of two houses - the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. There are 400 Members of Parliament in the National Assembly and 90 members in the National Council of Provinces.
Depending on the proportion of votes that parties received in the general election, political parties will also receive their seats in Parliament. Members of Parliament are appointed by their political parties from lists compiled by the parties.
The African National Congress (ANC) received 65.9 per cent of the 17.6-million valid votes cast, securing 264 of the 400 seats in South Africa's National Assembly, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 67 seats and the recently established Congress of the People (Cope) with 30 seats.
The Inkatha Freedom Party secured 18 seats in Parliament, while the United Democratic Movement, Freedom Front Plus and Independent Democrats secured four seats each.
The African Christian Democratic Party got three seats in Parliament, the United Christian Democratic Party got two, and the Azanian People's Organisation, Azanian People's Convention, Minority Front and Pan Africanist Congress of Azania got one seat each.
Once the MPs are sworn in, the Chief Justice will announce the procedure for the election of the President of the country and the Speaker of Parliament.
The sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the following day will include the swearing in of members as well the election of the chairperson and deputy chairperson.
The NCOP represents the provinces to ensure that their interests are taken into account in the national sphere of Government.
Source: www.southafrica.info