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Guide to Government

• How do I contact government role-players?
• Where do I find speeches or statements by government leaders?
• Where do I find the State of the Nation Address and National Budget?
• Where do I find profiles of government leaders?
• Where can I get photographs/pictures of the President, Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers?
• Where can I obtain a copy of the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights)?
• How does government work?
• How does Parliament work?
• How are laws made?
• Where can I complain about poor government service?
• How do elections work?
• What are government clusters and which are they?

How do I contact government role-players?

Government role-player's contact details are accessible on the contact information page.

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Where do I find speeches or statements by government leaders?

Speeches and statements by government leaders are available from the Speeches & statements delivered by government leaders page.

You can also search for speeches and statements.

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Where do I find the State of the Nation Address and National Budget?

The State of the Nation address and National Budget are delivered annually in Parliament.

The speeches are accesible under speeches and statements.

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Where do I find profiles of government leaders?

Profiles of the government leaders are available on the government leaders section.

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Where can I get photographs/pictures of the government leaders?

The faces of Government contains photos of the President and Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers as well as Premiers that can enlarged by clicking on the image.

Photographs for sale

Photographs of the President, Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers may be obtained from:
Government Communications (GCIS)
Private Bag X745
PRETORIA, 0001,

or contact Este Koorts
Tel: 012 314 2303
Fax: 012 324 2252
E-mail: este@gcis.gov.za

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Where can I obtain a copy of the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights)?

• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, was approved by the Constitutional Court (CC) on 4 December 1996 and took effect on 4 February 1997.

• Printed copies are available from the Government Printing Works at minimal cost:
  E-mail: jpe@print.pwv.gov.za
  Tel: +27 (0)12 334 4500
  Fax: +27 (0)12 323 0009
  Postal address: Private Bag X85, PRETORIA, 0001
  Street address: 149 Bosman Street, PRETORIA

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How does Government work?

South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary. The national, provincial and local levels of government all have legislative and executive authority in their own spheres.

Information on the government system is available under 'About Government. The publication Machinery of Government provides basic information on how the government of South Africa is structured and how its components work individually and together as a system.

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How does Parliament work?

Parliament is made up of two Houses, the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). The members are elected by the people of South Africa.

The National Council of Provinces is also involved in the law‑making process and provides a forum for debate on issues affecting the provinces. Its main focus is to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government. The Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces is the head of and spokesperson for that House.

One of Parliament’s most important roles is to approve the government’s budget for providing services to the people of South Africa.

Get more information on the Parliament website.

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How are laws made?

Parliament makes new laws, changes existing laws and repeals laws that are no longer needed. Laws can be made in different ways.

Information on how laws are made is available on the Parliament website.

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Where can I complain about poor government service?

Operators at Government call centres and helplines will provide assistance. You can also call the relevant department or state agency. Contact details are accessible on contact information page.

The Presidential Hotline 17737 should be used when all your attempts to get assistance from a government department, province, municipality or state agency have failed. It is not only a complaints line. You can call to share your views or provide solutions to the challenges in your community.

The publication Know your Service Rights provides information on what you could expect from government.

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How do elections work?

National elections are held every five years to elect a new government.

• Information on the electoral system is available on the Government Information website.
   
• Visit the website of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for more information.

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What are the government clusters and which are they?

Clusters were established to foster an integrated approach to governance that is aimed at improving government planning, decision making and service delivery. The main objective is to ensure proper coordination of all government programmes at national and provincial levels.

The main functions of cluster are to ensure alignment of government wide priorities; facilitate and monitor the implementation of priority programmes; and provide a consultative platform on cross-cutting priorities and matters being taken to Cabinet.

The clusters function at different levels, namely Ministerial, Director-General and communication clusters. The seven clusters are:

Infrastructure Development Cluster

Economic Sectors and Employment Cluster

Governance and Administration Cluster

Human Development Cluster

Social Protection and Community Development Cluster

International Cooperation, Trade and Security Cluster

Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster

Source: Presidency on reconfiguration of Ministerial clusters, 19 October 2009

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Last modified: 25 May 2012 08:05:34.