Cape town: Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has described the Constitution as a vital framework for the sustenance of democracy. The Minister delivered a statement in the National Assembly on Tuesday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

According to South African Government News Agency, Kubayi invoked the words of former President Nelson Mandela from the day the Constitution was adopted, emphasizing the need to improve lives. She urged lawmakers and public office bearers to reflect on the past 30 years and recommit to improving the quality of life for the people, highlighting that the government’s existence is justified by its efforts to eliminate poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, and disease.

Kubayi stated that the Constitution, adopted 30 years ago, was the result of collective negotiations involving politicians, legal scholars, intellectual architects, negotiators, and mass public participation. She recounted the historical adoption of the Constitution on May 8, 1996, marking a pivotal moment in South Africa’s transition towards a united, non-racial, non-sexist, and democratic nation. The Constitution, she noted, not only codified democratic norms and procedures but also expressed the aspirations of the majority of South Africans.

The Minister pointed out the current diversity of parties in Parliament as evidence of the enduring legacy of the Constitution. Presently, 18 parties occupy the 400 seats in the National Assembly, representing the will of the people through open, free, and fair elections.

Kubayi also reflected on the period before the democratic Constitution, describing it as a time when South Africa was mired in apartheid and colonialism, characterized by race-based dehumanization and exclusion. She emphasized that the Constitution was drafted to achieve peace, unity, and stability after years of struggle, and to lay a foundation for transforming South African society.

Addressing the preamble of the Constitution, Kubayi highlighted the decision of South Africans to create a future where all citizens, regardless of race, could live together and build an equitable and prosperous country. She praised the judiciary’s independence and its role in protecting and defending people’s rights, underscoring the Constitution’s brilliance and foresight in the ongoing transformation of South Africa.