New SA Constitution takes effect

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

On 4 February 1997, the new Constitution of the Republic of South Africa came into force. The country’s Constitution has been hailed as one of the most progressive in the world. It was approved by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996 and signed by President Nelson Mandela in Sharpeville, Gauteng on 10 December 1996. Among the laws contained by the Constitution is the Bill of Rights, which is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in South Africa and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.

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01Burger, D. (ed)(2002). South Africa Yearbook 2001/02, Pretoria: GCIS, p. 299.
02Tourism North West, ‘Governance: North West Provincial Government’, [online], Available at www.tourismnorthwest.co.za [Accessed: 23 January 2012]
03The South African Government Information, ‘Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996’, [online], Available at www.info.gov.za [Accessed: 23 January 2012]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). New SA Constitution takes effect. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013307

South African History Online (2011) 'New SA Constitution takes effect', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013307 (Accessed: 22 August 2026).

South African History Online, New SA Constitution takes effect [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013307, (accessed 22 August 2026).

"New SA Constitution takes effect." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013307. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "New SA Constitution takes effect." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0013307.