Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi on Monday celebrated the country's 30th anniversary of the Constitution.
Image: File
South Africa's "transformative and inclusive" Constitution was celebrated on Monday during a 30th-anniversary event led by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, and her deputy minister, Andre Nel.
The event, which coincided with this year's launch of the Human Rights Month, took place at the Apartheid Museum.
The gathering drew notable figures, including the head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Andy Mothibi, Janet Love of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), and Deputy Judge President Justice Aubrey Ledwaba. Together, they celebrated pivotal milestones that define the constitutional landscape in South Africa.
In her keynote address, Kubayi urged South Africans to renew their commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution. She recounted landmark cases from the Constitutional Court, which have proven instrumental in shaping the nation's legal framework.
"Today, as we launch our annual human rights month, we do so in the year that we celebrate two very significant events, whose occurrence, among others, brought us the human rights we now enjoy," Kubayi remarked. "These include the 70th anniversary of the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings and the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. Because of this adoption, we now have a foundation upon which we can strive towards a common vision for unity in our diversity while strengthening the culture of respect for human rights and the rule of law."
Professor Sarah Mosoetsa, of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), while celebrating the liberties brought on by democracy, called on leaders of society to do more to pay attention to those who suffer socio-economic challenges, more than 30 years into democracy.
"It is quite a privilege to be here, celebrating 30 years of the Constitution, and without worrying about this room being bombarded by missiles...However, we must not be complacent about the freedoms we enjoy today. However, on the ground, people are calling for more of the state. They want a state that is enabling, and not a state that glosses or ignores their cries,' she stated.
Reflecting on her own experiences as a woman growing up in Apartheid, South Africa, Thoko Mpumlwana, who heads the South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID), acknowledged how far the country has come, and how instrumental the Constitution has been in changing the lives of women in many aspects of society.
Mpumlwana called on ordinary South Africans to take responsibility for how they treat their own rights, urging them to balance these glorious rights with taking personal and societal responsibility.
"In the past, we did not have the rights for children. Children were seen and not heard. But now things have changed, and children's rights are paramount....Section 187, we have issues of gender...Not everything you like is covered in the Constitution. However, you are compelled to respect the rights of others," she stated.
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