Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa

The Speaker of the National Assembly presides over the National Assembly of South Africa, the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa. The speaker is chosen from among the Members of the Assembly at its first sitting following a general election and whenever the office is vacant. The Speaker acts as a "referee", taking charge of debates to make sure that the MPs can participate freely while keeping to the rules. The Speaker also has managerial duties to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly. Each political party in the Assembly elects a chief whip to run its affairs. The presiding officers, the chief whips, and the Leader of Government Business (the person appointed by the Cabinet to liaise with Parliament) together decide on the programme of work.

The office of Speaker of the National Assembly was preceded by the offices of Speaker of the House of Assembly (1910–1984) under the 1909 and 1961 constitutions and Speaker of Parliament under the Tricameral Parliament (1984–1994).

List of Speakers (1854–Present)

Speakers of the Cape House of Assembly (1854–1910)

• Sir Christoffel Brand (1854–1873)
• Sir David Tennant (1874–1895)
• Sir Henry Juta (1896–1898)
• Sir Bisset Berry (1899–1907)
• James Tennant Molteno (1908–1910)

Speakers of the House of Assembly (1910–1994)

#	Speaker (Born–Died)		Term of Office		Political Party
1	80px	James Tennant Molteno (1865–1936)	1 November 1910	18 November 1915	South African Party
2		Joel Krige (1866–1933)	19 November 1915	24 July 1924	South African Party
3		Ernest George Jansen (1881–1959)	25 July 1924	19 June 1929	National Party
4		Jan Hendrick Hofmeyr de Waal (1871–1937)	19 July 1929	25 May 1933	National Party
		Ernest George Jansen (1881–1959)	26 May 1933	21 January 1944	National Party (until 1934) United Party (from 1934)
(3)
5		Clifford Meyer van Coller (1876–1977)	22 January 1944	5 August 1948	United Party
6	80px	Jozua François Naudé (1889–1969)	6 August 1948	7 November 1950	National Party
7		Johannes Conradie (1897–1966)	19 January 1951	31 December 1960	National Party
8		Henning Johannes Klopper (1895–1985)	20 January 1961	1 August 1974	National Party
9		Alwyn Schlebusch (1917–2008)	2 August 1974	25 January 1976	National Party
10		Jannie Loots (1914–1998)	26 January 1976	30 July 1981	National Party
11		J. P. du Toit	31 July 1981	13 February 1983	National Party
12		Johan Greeff (1921–2004)	14 February 1983	31 December 1986	National Party
13		Louis le Grange (1928–1991)	1 January 1987	26 October 1991	National Party
14		Gene Louw (1931–)	14 November 1991	26 April 1994	National Party

Speakers of the National Assembly (1994–Present)

#	Speaker (Born–Died)		Term of Office		Political Party
1		Frene Ginwala (1932–)	9 May 1994	23 April 2004	African National Congress
2		Baleka Mbete (1949–)	23 April 2004	25 September 2008	African National Congress
3		Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde (1955–)	25 September 2008	6 May 2009	African National Congress
4		Max Sisulu (1945–)	6 May 2009	21 May 2014	African National Congress
(2)		Baleka Mbete (1949–)	21 May 2014	Incumbent	African National Congress

See also

• Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope
• House of Assembly of South Africa
• Tricameral Parliament
• National Assembly of South Africa

External links

• South African ministries, etc – Rulers.org