South Africa’s Constitution at Twenty-one

About the book

‘… in the new South Africa there is nobody, not even the president, who is above the law; that the rule of law generally, and in particular the independence of the judiciary, should be respected.’ – Nelson Mandela

In late 1996, South Africa’s Constitution acquired the force of law. Its Bill of Rights enshrined a range of fundamental rights to which all South Africans are entitled. In a marked breach with the past, citizens’ rights would no longer depend upon the pigment of their skin or other idiosyncratic features.

Today, 21 years since its inception, the Constitution has acquired an almost mythical status, both at home and abroad. Yet, crucially, its primary impact has been on the nuts and bolts of people’s lives. It means that the death penalty...