Today marks thirty years since the Constitutional Assembly adopted South Africa’s Constitution. The Assembly was South Africa’s first democratically elected, non-racial parliament and reflected diverse political views. 

The Constitution that was achieved, was not a politically negotiated product, but the fruit of this Assembly’s extensive public consultation. It was born of South Africans’ courage and hope. Hope of a future that rejected domination and embraced dignity, equality and freedom. 

“The Constitutional is proof that deeply divided societies can choose dialogue over conflict,” says Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation. “Its vision of a South Africa, where the state itself is subject to the law, and where all enjoy dignity, equality and freedom, remains as relevant today as it was thirty years ago.”

Daniela Ellerbeck, Manager of the Foundation’s Constitutional Rights Programme, adds: “Constitutional democracy is built patiently and preserved deliberately. The Constitution was crafted to restrain the State’s power and protect the vulnerable. In a South Africa plagued by corruption and weak governance, it is more relevant than ever. For this reason, the Foundation will continue to strive to protect the Constitution and make its vision a reality for all South Africans.”

On this anniversary, the Foundation reaffirms its confidence in the Constitution as a living framework for accountability, dignity and peaceful change.