South AfricaZA

Article 42 of the Constitution of South Africa

Article
42
Chapter
CHAPTER 4 — PARLIAMENT
Index row title
(1) Parliament consists of— (a) the National Assembly; and
Source document
The South Africa Constitution
Provision ID
77e3d125-a8f3-4229-bd8e-cb87c3258762

177 words

Verbatim text

(b) the National Council of Provinces. (2) The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces participate in the legislative process in the manner set out in the Constitution. (3) The National Assembly is elected to represent the people and to ensure government by the people under the Constitution. It does this by choosing the President, by providing a national forum for public consideration of issues, by passing legislation and by scrutinizing and overseeing executive action. (4) The National Council of Provinces represents the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government. It does this mainly by participating in the national legislative process and by providing a national forum for public consideration of issues affecting the provinces. (5) The President may summon Parliament to an extraordinary sitting at any time to conduct special business. (6) The seat of Parliament is Cape Town, but an Act of Parliament enacted in accordance with section 76(1) and (5) may determine that the seat of Parliament is elsewhere. Legislative authority of the Republic

What this means

  • The index files this text under article 42 of the Constitution of South Africa.
  • The index files it under the chapter heading “CHAPTER 4 — PARLIAMENT”.
  • The passage runs to about 177 words.
  • Read plainly, it mentions assembly and association — it protects gathering together or joining a group, union or party (the words used: “Assembly”).

The row’s stored title is a body fragment, not a heading (“(1) Parliament consists of— (a) the National Assembly; and”), so it is not used as the provision’s title here.

The index gives this passage an article number but stores a body fragment where a heading would be, so the number could not be cross-checked against the text. Check it against the official Constitution before relying on it in a citation.

This is a mechanical reading aid generated from the text above by matching words in it. It is not legal advice, not a lawyer’s interpretation, and not a substitute for the provision itself.

How to cite this

Constitution of South Africa, article 42, Portable Lawyer, https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/77e3d125-a8f3-4229-bd8e-cb87c3258762 (accessed 25 October 2026).

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Accessed 25 October 2026.

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