It is possible to dissolve Parliament on 30 May 2027 and force an early general election in South Africa

Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder said that it is possible to dissolve Parliament on 30 May 2027 and force an early general election in South Africa.

He shared this information during an interview with Alec Hogg on Biznews, in which he discussed the potential of an early election.

Mulder said that it was possible that South Africans do not have to wait until 2029 for the general election.

“One would be a motion of no confidence in Parliament. Then you’d have to bring that against the President, and he has got to resign,” he said.

He explained that it was not as simple as creating a new executive, which could lead to fresh elections.

Another option is to invoke Section 50 of the Constitution, which states that Parliament can dissolve itself.

“Parliament can adopt an ordinary motion with a majority of one, that’s 50% plus one, which is equal to 201 members,” he said.

“They can adopt a motion in Parliament under Section 50 to dissolve Parliament, and then the President is forced to call a new general election.”

Mulder highlighted that there is a provision stating it can only be done after three years have elapsed since the previous term started. That is on 30 May 2027.

“I’m not saying that is going to happen. I’m not saying that’s going to be the option, but it is something that one can consider if need be,” he said.

The 2026 local government elections changed matters

In the 2026 local government elections, the African National Congress (ANC) only received 31% of the vote.

This is significantly lower than the 40% it received in the 2024 general elections, which Mulder said changed the political landscape.

He explained that South Africa has two distinct worlds at the moment, within one government but at different levels.

“The one is where the electorate in the last national election produced a result that forced us into a government of national unity with the ANC,” he said.

“We have now a different set of facts where the same electorate voted differently two years later.”

He said the latest results mean political parties can form governments in the major metros and elsewhere without the ANC.

He said the discrepancy between those two election results raises questions about what the next three years should look like.

He said one option is to hold an early election and allow political parties to form a new government without the ANC.

“That could be a completely new ballgame, but only after 30 May next year. The irony is it will depend on a majority in Parliament. The ANC cannot stop that,” he said.

He said such a move will only be possible if the MK Party, the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, the Freedom Front Plus, and the EFF all support it.

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Section 50 of the Constitution: Dissolution of National Assembly before expiry of its term

The President must dissolve the National Assembly if ­

• the Assembly has adopted a resolution to dissolve with a supporting vote of a majority of its members; and
• three years have passed since the Assembly was elected.

The Acting President must dissolve the National Assembly if ­

• there is a vacancy in the office of President; and
• the Assembly fails to elect a new President within 30 days after the vacancy occurred.

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