Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) celebrates the apex court’s achievements of the last 30 years in dispensing justice and protecting the rights of South Africans; and calls for increased safeguarding of South Africa’s constitutional values.
The Constitutional Court is the highest court in South Africa and was created in 1995 to protect human rights and limit the power of the executive. It signalled a break from the apartheid dispensation’s unchecked government power and the regime’s blatant disregard for human rights.
As the only political party in South Africa that actively campaigns for increased access to justice, the supremacy of rule of law and the protection of our constitutional dispensation, the Democratic Alliance celebrates the seminal judgements the court has made over the last 30 years. Specific mention should be made of cases like S v Makwanyane that declared the death penalty unconstitutional in 1995; Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie (2006) that paved the way for the legalisation of same-sex marriage; and the Treatment Action Campaign case in 2003 that forced government to join the fight against AIDS.
The Court’s jurisdiction was expanded over time to address gaps in the judicial system and strengthen constitutional supremacy in South Africa. Today, the court has final jurisdiction in all matters, and it has the power to review actions of the president, organs of state and parliament.
The Democratic Alliance does not merely celebrate the building that sits on Constitution Hill in Braamfontein. Instead, we celebrate everything that it represents and all that it has achieved over the last three decades; and we stress the importance of the words written on the wall at the entrance to the courtroom: A Luta Continua – the fight for justice continues.
Regards
Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP
DA Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development