Speech by Minister Jeff Radebe, Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, on the occasion of the parliamentary debate on the 20th Anniversary of the Constitution, 24 August 2016
Today is yet another important occasion that we celebrate the continued buttressing of our constitutional democracy, of what many called the 1994 miracle, when we transitioned from the apartheid order to the new democratic dispensation. On this August month in which we celebrate the struggle for the emancipation of women against gender oppression and marginalization, it is opportune moment to highlight the meaning of the constitution on gender equality.
The Constitution is the soul of the nation, its DNA and its main navigation instrument. As we reflect on the 20th Anniversary of our constitution, we do so mindful of the promise the Constitution makes to the people.
The constitution would be a useless document if it does not speak to the socio-economic conditions of our people. As an enabling instrument for the attainment of our socio-economic objectives, the constitution is the springboard to further accessible education, sufficient housing to ensure shelter for all, food security even for the poorest, access to affordable health and ownership of property.
The real meaning and essence of the constitution is in its fulfilment. And this can be done through the various programmes by the private sector, government and NGO’s.
Since the adoption of the constitution in 1996, we were fully conscious of the fact that we need to consolidate our laws, so that as the constitution directs, every apartheid law that was naturally inconsistent with it was repealed and replaced by a just law. But very importantly we were also conscious that the constitution is not just about laws but it is about the material welfare of the people.
The Twenty Year Review Report on the work of government to transform South Africa sought to reflect on the promise the Constitution made on a better life for all without racial, gender or any unfair form of discrimination. As this being Women’s Month, it is important to highlight that we have made strides in the transformation of women’s lives, to bring parity with their male counterparts in the work place, including leadership roles in government, the private sector and society at large.
The Twenty Year Review Report speaks of the strides we have made in rural development, electricity, water provision, education, healthcare, social grants for the very poor, houses. All these are material conditions that the Constitution envisages for the people.
Twenty Years after the adoption of the Constitution, we can safely declare that we continue on the trajectory that has been the birth certificate of our democratic dispensation, values which unite our people even against the backdrop of the very deep divisions of the past.
This is a call towards the speedy implementation of the ethos of our constitution that our founding President the late Nelson Mandela had the honour of charting. As a tribute to President Mandela and all the stalwarts of the struggle as well as the unsung heroines and heroes, we must make the constitution a living document in the daily experiences of all our people. The National Development Plan is the blue print that our people, led by the National Planning Commission, drafted as the consensus interpreting this Constitution’s promise of a better life for all.
Very important in breaking the neck of the vicious cycle of the legacy of the past is to emancipate the youth through education, skills development and entrepreneurship support. As the statistics continue to indicate, the youth continue to bear the brunt of unemployment and consequently the devastating effects of inequality and poverty. We have given concrete interpretation on the promise of a better life amongst the youth by drafting and adopting the National Youth Policy 2020, which is informed by the overall thrust of the National Development Plan.
Like the NDP, the NYP 2020 will remain a pipe dream if national, provincial and very importantly local government institutions, do not integrate in their programmes. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the constitution, let us make a pledge to the youth that as our legacy will be a greater effort at implementing the radical transformation programmes that would give the various constitutional principles life into their lived experiences.
Let it be a pledge by this august house, as we do when we are sworn in as its honourable members, that we will abide by constitution’s historic calls, the call to action to heal the divisions of the past which are most pronounced amongst the youth of our country, women and people with disabilities.
Honourable Members;
The picture I am trying to paint is that the constitution is as much about the laws as it is about the material socio-economic conditions of our people. The constitution is not just a document to be celebrated as legally fool proof, but the mandate to change our people’s lives.
The NDP Vision 2030 calls on us to half poverty by 2030 and to radically reduce unemployment and inequality, undoubtedly in what would make proud the architects of our constitution. Let us therefore steam ahead and implement the NDP. Just this weekend we launched Brand Identity of the NDP because we want this broad architecture to be embedded in the minds and hearts of each and every South African. This is not just government plan but the plan of the people of South Africa.
And because it is the plan by the people and for the people of South Africa, its success does not rest only on government or this parliament but the people as a whole. It is our considered view that much of the economic activities that must improve people’s lives rely on what our people as the private sector does or must do, to confront the trio challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
We make an appeal to the private sector to commit itself, working side by side with organized labour and government, to realise the objectives of the NDP Vision 2030 and by extension the various values of a better life for all as enshrined in the Constitution.
On this occasion, we look back with pride on the strides we have made, which should inspire us that we can also defeat current challenges as we look forward to a brighter future for all South Africans, not because of the amount of criticism we can make, but because of the critical action we are prepared to take to transform South Africa into the image of the Constitution.
We have all embraced a constitution that has become a model of constitutionalism the world over, a cardinal pointer on the path we must traverse not only as the South African nation, but humanity as a whole.
It is precisely because of the promise that can be deciphered from the Constitution, the high ideals and premium it puts on the rights of each and every citizen, and every sojourner who traverse our soil, that on this occasion we take stock on the strides we have made to fulfill its historic call.
From a divided past, we fought each other to the death, but today we have come to embrace our differences as enriching our democratic order, as most reflected in this august house. Despite our strong political views, together we have sworn our allegiance to values enshrined in this priceless document, the constitution and supreme law of our republic.
It was through the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, that the shedding of blood cannot be permanent feature of political, social and economic relations. But that instead principles of political, social and economic relations can mediate amongst the people, permitting their various differences, whilst fostering a solidarity of common nationhood. This inspired the Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to charge that ours is a “rainbow nation”.
The Constitution is a codification of the values we aspire for as a nation. It is also a negation of the values which divided our people and caused untold pain on the victims of violence, murder, repression and marginalization. The Constitution sets forth and re-affirms the common citizenship of all our people.
Honourable Members;
Our constitutional dispensation emphasizes the role of the three arms of the State as they dovetail to strengthen our democracy. In addition, the Chapter 9 institutions remain important instruments in the checks and balances of our democratic order. This house is still seized with the appointment of the next Public Protector, and the process has been open to public scrutiny reflective of our maturing democracy.
What will undermine our democracy are not ideological views. The real threat to our constitution is if we fail to bring parity between its noble promise and the lived experiences of our people. It is precisely why in its pre-amble the constitution enjoins us to heal the divisions of the past. As some have observed, our people were not fighting for mere lofty ideas but for food, shelter and to be protected against the forces of injustice.
As I conclude, allow me to re-iterate that the National Development Plan must be implemented in a radical and urgent manner, consistent with the desire to defeat the scourges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The challenges of race relations must be attended to and not whitewashed through mere cosmetic hugs and kisses, but through the fundamental socio-economic re-organization and transformation of society.
In this way we could say without any fear of contradiction that the constitution is the very soul of the nation, its DNA and the cardinal pointer and guarantor of our democracy and our collective future!
Our constitution holds the promise of a greater future, because we believe our children and all posterity will continue on this grand trajectory, to uplift South Africa to take its rightful place amongst the freedom loving nations of the world that pride themselves with non-racism, democracy and the prosperity for all! In this way we can collectively declare as President Mandela did on the occasion of his inauguration that never and never again shall this country be a skunk of the world!
I thank you!
