Deputy President of South Africa
The Deputy President of South Africa is the deputy head of government of South Africa. They are a member of the National Assembly and the Cabinet. The Deputy President is constitutionally required to "assist the President in the execution of the functions of government", and may be assigned any government portfolio by presidential proclamation. The Deputy President performs the duties of the President of South Africa when the President is outside the country's borders, unable to fulfill the duties of the office, or when the Presidency is vacant.
Under the interim constitution, there was a Government of National Unity, in which a member of parliament from the largest opposition party was entitled to a position as deputy president. Along with Mbeki, the previous State President, F. W. de Klerk also served as Deputy President in his capacity as the leader of the National Party, then the second-largest party in the new Parliament. De Klerk later resigned and went into opposition with his party. A voluntary coalition government continues to exist under the new constitution, although there have been no appointments of opposition politicians to the post of deputy president.
The official living residences of the Deputy President are Oliver Tambo House in Pretoria, Highstead in Cape Town and Dr John L Dube House in Durban.
Inception and expiry of term
The Deputy President's term of office is not fixed by law. The Deputy President's term begins when he or she is appointed by the President from amongst members of the National Assembly and takes a prescribed oath.The Deputy President's term is ended by one of four constitutional mechanisms: dismissal by the President, a successful 'motion of no confidence in the President' by the National Assembly, a successful 'motion of no confidence excluding the President' by the National Assembly, or a newly elected President's assumption of office. Presumably, a statement of resignation would also be sufficient to end a Deputy President's term of office.
Informal Roles
Depending on the extent of any informal roles and functions of the Deputy President depend on the specific relationship between the president and deputy president, but often the roles include tasks like:- Spokesperson for the administration policies
- Adviser to the president.
- Step up when the president is out of the country
List of Deputy Presidents of South Africa (1994–present)
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | President | Political party | |
| =1 | F. W. de Klerk | 10 May 1994 | 30 June 1996 | Nelson Mandela | National | |
| =1 | Thabo Mbeki | 10 May 1994 | 16 June 1999 | Nelson Mandela | African National Congress | |
| 3 | Jacob Zuma | 16 June 1999 | 14 June 2005 | Thabo Mbeki | African National Congress | |
| 4 | Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka | 14 June 2005 | 23 September 2008 | Thabo Mbeki | African National Congress | |
| 5 | Baleka Mbete | 25 September 2008 | 9 May 2009 | Kgalema Motlanthe | African National Congress | |
| 6 | Kgalema Motlanthe | 9 May 2009 | 26 May 2014 | Jacob Zuma | African National Congress | |
| 7 | Cyril Ramaphosa | 26 May 2014 | 15 February 2018 | Jacob Zuma | African National Congress | |
| 8 | David Mabuza | 27 February 2018 | Incumbent | Cyril Ramaphosa | African National Congress |