Title: A people's constitution : public participation in the South African constitution-making process /
Authors: Skjelten, Synnøve.
Publisher: Institute for Global Dialogue,
Year: 2006
Subjects: Constitutional history South Africa; Political participation South Africa; Constitutional law South Africa; South Africa Politics and government
Abstract: IN MAY 1994, less that two weeks after South Africa's first democratic election, a constitutional assembly was formed to draft a final constitution. The CA understood that in order for the constitution to have legitimacy, the people of South Africa had to be involved in creating it. After intense planning and conceptualisation, an innovative public participation programme emerged. In the course of this programme, CA members and staff travelled the length and breadth of the country, to remote rural areas and urban townships, to present and attend constitutional public meetings. Hearings were organised for national sectors of civil society, giving them an opportunity to take ownership of the process, and constitutional education workshops were conducted in order to empower people to participate in the process. This book is aimed both at placing this remarkable process on record, and providing a useful toolbox for other countries, whether developed or developing, which are either writing a new constitution or reviewing an existing one.
Contents: From lawlessness to legitimacy : a historical context -- Creating legitimacy through ownership : a conceptual background to the inclusive nature of the South African consitution-making process -- Creating the tools of ownership : the public participation programme takes shape -- Nothing about us without us -- taking the constitution-making process to the people : the CA's constitutional public meetings -- Empowering the grass roots through education : the constitutional education programme of the CA -- No more legalese and latin : the use of plain language in the constitution-making process -- Reaching the people who reach the people -- the impact and importance of civil society in the constitution-making process -- The media campaign -- The South African constitution-making process : a benchmark. Appendix A. The Freedom Charter. Appendix B. Constitutional principles.