South Africa’s Parliament used to take 6 months to pass a law. Now, it takes 34 months.

The process of passing legislation in South Africa has slowed to a crawl, with a number of key bills awaiting approval by parliament years after they were first proposed. 

Some 24 laws have been presented to the National Assembly since it reconvened in February, and only three, all related to government spending, have been passed.

There are a further eight that were introduced in previous years, the legislature’s records show. 

A presentation by parliament’s legal advisers to a lawmakers’ panel last month showed that it takes an average of 34 months to pass laws affecting the national and provincial administrations, up from 6 months in 2004. 

A key law proposing support thresholds that political parties must meet to qualify for seats on municipal councils is among those caught up in the logjam.

The country is due to hold local government elections on 4 November, and its approval could smooth the process of forming coalitions in towns where no party wins an outright majority. 

Other pieces of legislation that have been held up include the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, which will overhaul the regulatory framework for the telecommunications industry.

Another bill proposes creating a single state-owned petrochemical company, and at least two bills aim to curb money laundering and corruption.

Legislators were taking additional time to hold hearings and consider public submissions on key bills, and faced logistical constraints, including a shortage of committee rooms following a 2022 fire that burnt down the National Assembly, the legal advisers said. 

They also attributed the delays to changing political dynamics after the 2024 national elections.

This saw the ANC lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since it took power three decades earlier and enter into a coalition with nine rivals to retain power.