Chapter 5E – CCTSA

THE 1996 CONSTITUTION - 1

THE PREAMBLE TO THE 1996 CONSTITUTION

The 1996 Constitution achieved virtually all the provisions that had been included in the 1991 Declaration of Intent. It proclaimed that:

The Constitution would be the supreme law and would be upheld by an independent and impartial judiciary.
There would be a genuine multi-party democracy.
There would be a separation of powers between the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
The diversity of the languages, cultures, and religions would be accommodated.
There would be a justiciable Bill of Rights that would ensure the enjoyment of universally accepted human rights and freedoms.

THE PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

The preamble to the Constitution sets out South Africa’s national vision. It describes where we have come from, and the society that we would like to become.

We, the people of South Africa, recognise the injustices of our past; honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in diversity.

We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to:

Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by the law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.