Justice Ministry admits government has fallen short of democratic aspirations

The Justice Ministry says the government has fallen short on implementing the aspirations of the Constitution over the past 30 years.

It is holding an event at the apartheid musuem in Johannesburg to commemorate three decades since the Constitution was signed into law, on Monday.

The programme also acts as an official launch of Human Rights Month, under the theme, “The Bill of Rights at 30: Making Human Dignity Real.”

The Constitution officially replaced South Africa’s apartheid laws with a set of rules and guidelines that state that every person in the country is born equal.

However, 30-years on, deep inequality persists across the country, especially across racial lines.

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Hunger, homelessness, and a lack of access to clean water is still a reality for many communities despite the constitution stating otherwise.

Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi said while much has been achieved in the new democratic dispensation, more still needs to be done.

“The framework has proven its durability in the courts, the legislature, and in the institutions created to give it effect. What has not kept pace is the translation of that framework into the daily lives of those it was most urgently intended to serve. That remains the most consequential measure by which this constitutional project will continue to be assessed.”

Kubayi said the Constitution was never meant to be a static document and will continue to be amended to reflect the current realities.