Constitutional Hill commemorates 21 years of South Africa’s Constitution and looks to the future
JOBURG – Constitutional Hill presents events that are intended to spark lively and engaging experiences related to Constitutionalism, Human Rights, and Democracy.
Constitutional Hill will be celebrating the 21st anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution on 10 December.
The Constitution Hill precinct, along with its key partners, has been hosting a series of events leading up to the anniversary.
In the last two decades, the Constitutional Court has guided the country through several significant landmark rulings in the name of protecting the country’s democracy.
Some of these include the case between the Minister of Health and Others versus the Treatment Action Campaign and Others that took place in 2002.
This historic court judgement ordered the government to make Nevirapine, or a suitable substitute, available at public clinics to pregnant mothers who sought it.
As a result of this, South Africa became the country with the largest publicly-provided Aids treatment programme in the world.
The events coming up soon at the precinct in commemoration of the 21st anniversary will look back at just how far the country’s democracy has come and also look forward to what still needs to be done.
Key Anniversary events at ConHill:
On 8 December 2017, in partnership with Sandi Zinnia Baai Foundation and the National Heritage Council, Constitutional Hill will be hosting the launch of the book Black Sacrifice: The Sinking of the SS Mendi, an often-forgotten tragedy of human rights violations and the loss of life of more than 600 black South African soldiers.
On 9 December 2017, the precinct will partner with the Thuli Madonsela Foundation in a democracy festival where key issues affecting the country’s democracy will be discussed, including topics such as: What constitutes an ideal President for a developmental democratic state such as ours.
For more information contact info@thumafoundation.org
10 December 2017 will see the precinct host the main event with current and former justices as well as other civil society representatives under the theme ‘Looking back to look forward: the next 21 years of the Constitution’.
The event will focus on the historic strides of the Constitution in the last 21 years and also critically assess how the next 21 years of the Constitution should be defined.
During this event, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a key South African icon will be honoured.
The precinct believes that Tutu is a prime example of a South African that has played his role in securing the country’s well renowned Constitution.
In honour of Tutu, a key architect in South Africa’s democracy, a sculpture appropriately named the Arch for the Arch made up of 14 arches representing each chapter of the Constitution and each line of the Constitution’s preamble, will be unveiled outside the Constitutional Court.
For more information please contact:
Jeanny Morulane – jeanny@conhill.org.za; 011 381 3150
Phetsile Nxumalo – phetsile@conhill.org.za; 011 381 3128
