/ 18 March 1999

PROVINCES LOSE SEATS

THE Independent Electoral Commission announced on Wednesday that three provincial legislatures will be smaller after the general election. It said that the Gauteng legislature will lose 13 seats, bringing it down to 73 members, the Western Cape three seats and North-West legislature one. The number of seats in the National Assembly will remain at 400. Committee chairman Judge Ismail Hussain said the IEC’s decision is based on the 1996 census figures.