Constitutional democracy in South Africa – 20 years old but still growing
Cape Town, 25 July 2014
The lengthy and often very tense constitutional negotiation process in the early nineties in South Africa inevitably included various compromises in shaping the constitutional system of South Africa. The peaceful transition from the old order to establish an inclusive constitutional democracy in 1994 is often referred to as a miracle, which it was. Political violence in parts of the country and mistrust between political opponents could easily have led the country on another road, but fortunately strong leadership and a will to find workable solutions prevailed. While the political leaders continued with the constitutional negotiations the churches and the business community joined hands in forming the national peace accord which was a massive society based initiative that made a significant contribution to the peaceful transition.
Read more: Constitutional democracy in South Africa – 20 years old but still growing