Nineteen years of the South African Constitution: Honouring the Legacy of Nelson Mandela

TODAY marks the 19th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by the late President Nelson Mandela on 10 December 1996, as well as International Human Rights Day.

In commemorating the 19th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Xola Nqola, has, on behalf of the committee, expressed his appreciation for the deepening of constitutional values and human rights in South Africa.

“We look back with pride on that day when President Mandela marked the closure of the chapter of injustice and opened the country’s new chapter of justice and peace. We are noting the blossoming of justice and the respect of human rights in South Africa,” said Nqola.

The commissions of inquiry, including the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System (Madlanga Commission) and the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that are underway, are a testament to the triumph of justice over injustice and the rule of law in South Africa, he said.

"South Africans see the power of their constitution to expose and push back against all the frontiers of injustice and the enemies of human rights," said Nqola.

He said the committee calls on constitutional structures responsible for the preservation of justice, as well as all South Africans, to rededicate themselves to standing for justice and peace.

“Let us all, on this special day, remember the example of our world icon, the late President Mandela and other advocates of democracy and peace,” he added.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE