President of South Africa

==Electoral system==
South Africa has a distinctive system for the election of its president. Unlike other former British colonies and dominions who have adopted a parliamentary republican form of government and those that follow the [[Westminster system]], South Africa's president is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]] and commander-in-chief of the [[South African National Defence Force]] (SANDF). Contrary to presidential systems around the world, the president of South Africa is elected by the [[Parliament of South Africa]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/voting-completed-elect-new-president | title=Voting Completed to Elect New President | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011910/http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/voting-completed-elect-new-president | archive-date=3 December 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> rather than by the people directly. They are thus answerable to it in theory and able to influence legislation in practice as head of the majority party.

The president is elected at the first sitting of Parliament after an election, and whenever a vacancy arises. The president is elected by the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]], the lower house of Parliament, from among its members. The [[Chief Justice of South Africa|chief justice]] must oversee the election. Once elected, a person is no longer a member of the National Assembly. They must then be sworn in as president within five days of the election. Should a vacancy arise, the date of a new election must be set by the chief justice, but not more than 30 days after the vacancy occurs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02167/04lv02184/05lv02193/06lv02200.htm|title=Chapter 5 - The President and National Executive |agency=The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory|access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref>

The Constitution has thus prescribed a system combining both parliamentary and presidential systems in a unique manner. Only [[Botswana]] and [[List of countries by system of government#Parliamentary republics with an executive presidency|a few other countries]] use a similar system. Between 1996 and 2003 [[Israel]] combined the two systems in an opposite way, with [[Prime Minister of Israel#Direct election|direct elections for the post of prime minister]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/printplace/8/ |title=Botswana |access-date=29 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429184550/http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/printplace/8/ |archive-date=29 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Although the presidency is the key institution, it is hedged about with numerous checks and balances that prevent its total dominance over the government, as was the case in many African countries. The presidential term is five years, with a limit of two terms. Thus the electoral system attempts (at least on paper) to prevent the accumulation of power in the president as occurred during Apartheid and as is the case currently in many other African countries.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/govern/elections.html | title=Elections in South Africa | access-date=30 November 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002757/http://www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/govern/elections.html | archive-date=24 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>