South Africa’s Constitution was signed into law 20 years ago.
This advanced piece of legislation is admired and respected around the world for its pioneering approach to human rights. It is considered a symbol of a remarkable negotiated transition between two very different governments. Over the past 20 years, our country has faced many challenges and its citizens countless adversities. In these times, our Constitution has often been referred to as the black-on-white moral compass that “will guide us through troubled times.”
The Constitution was preceded by the 1994 interim Constitution, which set the stage for South Africa’s first democratic election. The document declared itself to be “a historic bridge between the past of a deeply divided society characterised by strife, conflict, untold suffering and injustice, and a future founded on the recognition of human rights, democracy and peaceful co-existence and development opportunities for all South Africans, irrespective of colour, race, class, belief or sex.”
Today, the interim and final Constitutions are acknowledged worldwide for providing that bridge.
The Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of South Africa. Law or conduct inconsistent with it must be declared invalid. It creates obligations that should be fulfilled.
What are my Constitutional Rights?
Read more: Our Constitution by Mediaclub
