JOHANNESBURG, March 2 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Monday launched a year-long commemoration of the 30th anniversary of its Constitution, with Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi urging citizens to reaffirm their commitment to constitutional democracy.
Speaking at the event, which was held both online and at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, Kubayi said the Constitution, signed into law in 1996 by the country's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, represented a decisive break from a past of racial inequality and injustice, providing a foundation for "unity in diversity."
Reflecting on three decades of constitutional democracy, she said the Constitution has fulfilled "much" of its promise, yet its implementation has too "often fallen short of aspiration."
The minister stressed the "structural integration of the justice system" as a landmark achievement, and said that the last 30 years have significantly improved access to justice for ordinary citizens.
"These developments are significant because access to justice is a substantive constitutional obligation," she added.
At the same time, Kubayi acknowledged that while the legal framework has advanced, many communities "have not experienced the pace of transformation that the Constitution's provisions reasonably implied," citing corruption, resource constraints and uneven implementation as obstacles.
Under the theme "30 Years of Constitutional Democracy: One Constitution, One Nation -- Reflect, Renew, Recommit," the commemoration program will feature public dialogues, civic education initiatives and an international conference on access to justice.
"We call on all South Africans to join us in these initiatives so that we can collectively reflect on the 30 years of our constitution, progress and challenges and recommit ourselves to the democratic project," she said. ■