How the team created a strategy for the public participation campaign This extract from Hassen Ebrahim’s this extract from Hassan Ebrahim’s memoir, From Marabastad to Mogadishu: The Journey of an ANC Soldier, describes the process that he and his administrative team underwent to create the public participation campaign: Taking our cue from [Collins Chabane], my …
The 34 Constitutional Principles I The Constitution of South Africa shall provide for the establishment of one sovereign state, a common South African citizenship and a democratic system of government committed to achieving equality between men and women and people of all races. II Everyone shall enjoy all universally accepted fundamental rights, freedoms and civil …
ELEMENT 1 – VALUES It was necessary for the drafters to establish the system of values that would underlie the structures of government and the manner in which they were to function. These values were set out in a powerful preamble as well as in the founding provisions in the opening sections of the Constitution …
South Africa’s Third Constitution 1983 Preamble to the Tricameral Constitution, adopted on 22 September 1983. Parliament of South Africa The (1983) Constitution lacked substantive principle, constitutionalism and even a regard for the rule of law. It failed to protect individual rights, showed a fundamental lack of democracy, lacked an independent judiciary, did not have adequate …
South Africa’s Second Constitution 1961 Original Preamble to the Republican Constitution, adopted on 31 May 1961. Parliament of South Africa Prime Minister Verwoerd’s dream was to turn South Africa into a Republic ruled by the Afrikaner and free from British interference. This would allow the South African government to deal with its ’native problem’ in …
South Africa’s First Constitution 1910 1910 Original version of the preamble to the Union Constitution, adopted on 31 May 1910. Parliament of South Africa When delegates from all four provinces met to draft a new constitution at the National Convention of 1908–9, they were also giving shape to the idea of nationhood. For most of …
The Constitution is Certified, Finally 4 December 1996 The amended text was returned to the Constitutional Court. On 18 November 1996, the Constitutional Court began its second hearing on the amended text. Again, the general public, political parties and the Constitutional Assembly (CA) were invited to make written representations to the Court about new issues …
Back to the Constitutional Assembly The drafters returned to Parliament. Armed with the detailed judgment and a passionate will, they began working on amending the text. The fact that none of the political parties questioned the legitimacy of the certification process or the decisions taken by the Court was an affirmation of the new democracy’s …
The Court’s Decision 6 September 1996 Justice Kriegler, President Chaskalson and Justice Sachs in the Constitutional Court. Gallo Images / Robbie Schneider The Court’s judgment held that although the overwhelming majority of the clauses complied with the Constitutional Principles, there were nine instances where this was not the case. These ranged from failure of the …
The Judgment Considering the complexity of the case, it was a relative surprise that it took just two months for the judgment to be handed down. Unlike in the death penalty case, the first to be heard in the Court and in which each judge had written a separate judgment, this was a single decision …
President Mandela gives his State of the Nation address in Parliament. Mandela ends his address with the words, “Let us all get down to work”.
President Nelson Mandela announces his cabinet. It includes members of the African National Congress, National Party and Inkatha Freedom Party.
