Zimbabwe’s constitutional conundrum
Video footage from Zimbabwe reveals how the process of drafting a new Constitution in a poverty-struck nation is often fraught with violence and intimidation.
Constitution
Angie’s draft school infrastructure norms flout Constitution
The draft norms and standards for school infrastructure that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga recently gazetted could well be illegal.
Protests called as Egypt’s draft constitution rushed through
An Egyptian panel boycotted by Christians and liberals on Friday adopted a draft constitution with an Islamist bent that activists are unhappy with.
Manuel: Don’t blame the Constitution for slow change
Planning Minister Trevor Manuel says the Constitution cannot be blamed for the slow pace of change in South Africa.
Motshekga’s statements on basic education rights ‘incorrect’
NGO Equal Education says Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s statements submitted to court on basic education rights are wrong.
Zim’s draft constitution ‘a flawed compromise’
Analysts critical of Zimbabwe’s draft constitution say it is a flawed collection of compromises that is doomed to be "thrown away by future nations".
Editorial: Cautious nod for progress in Zimbabwe
For too long Zimbabwe has been afflicted by an atmosphere that is at once febrile and frozen.
Nikiwe Bikitsha: The polarising penis
Nikiwe Bikitsha explains how she feels about "The Spear", and how South Africans are not living up to the Constitution of our founding fathers.
In the Constitution we trust
Sometimes the courts need to intervene to remind the government it is of the people, by the people, writes <b>Khaya Dlanga</b>. Not of or by the ANC.
DA Youth: The ANC needs to change, not the Constitution
Members of the DA Youth have staged a sit-in outside the Constitutional Court to protest what they deemed an "assault" on the Constitution.
One Law, One Nation
15years after Mandela signed the constitution, the book One Law, One Nation charts the story of the long fight for constitutional rights in the country.
Ngcobo: Don’t take your freedoms for granted
Former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo says South Africans should not take their rights to freedom of expression and information for granted.
Policy papers bring land, Constitution into ANC’s focus
With new focus on land and constitutional reform, the ANC says its policy discussion documents will take the country into its "second transition".
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ANC mulls review of Constitution
An ANC document says "elements" of the Constitution might be reviewed because they "may be an impediment to social and economic transformation".
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Birth of SA’s highest law: The final countdown begins
A new book celebrating the 15th birthday of South Africa’s Constitution details how agreement was hammered out in the final weeks before its adoption.
‘We implement judgments because we accept them’
The <em>Mail & Guardian</em> spoke to Justice Minister Jeff Radebe about the discussion documents on the transformation of the judiciary.
‘ConCourt changes not in line with SA democracy’
Legal experts have warned that tampering with the powers of the Constitutional Court equates to a fundamental change in South Africa’s democracy.
Judicial own goal a serious setback
The past few weeks have not been a happy time for the judiciary. None of these developments is of the judiciary’s making.
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If the government fails to deliver, judges are obliged to act
President Jacob Zuma certainly caught the attention of legal and political commentators when he addressed a judicial conference.
Syria looks forward to a time past
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January Syria’s President said his main objective was to address his people’s "closed mindedness".
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Constitutional watchdog sounds warning
SA is on the "verge" of joining dysfunctional states as the effects of corruption debilitate all spheres of life, a constitutional watchdog says.
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Cabinet lifeline for EC schools
For the first time since 1994, national government has invoked legislation and taken over the running of a provincial education department.
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New Bill makes Icasa a tool of government
The Icasa Amendment Bill is an attempt by the department of communications to bring Icasa directly under its control, says <b>Kate Skinner</b>.
Prosecuting Zuma ‘unconstitutional’, says lawyer
President Jacob Zuma’s lawyer has urged the high court in Pretoria to dismiss a bid to have the president prosecuted as it would be unconstitutional.
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‘Constitution does not solve problems in themselves’
The Constitution was not a "miracle law" and should not be used to solve problems that we cannot solve ourselves, Professor Steven Friedman said.
ANC: Pardons are president’s prerogative
The African National Congress (ANC) had not discussed presidential pardons with President Jacob Zuma, it said on Sunday.
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SARB says independence entrenched in Constitution
Responding to union calls for its nationalisation, the SA Reserve Bank pointed out that its independence was entrenched in the Constitution.
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Angola kicks off public debate on new Constitution
Angola kicked off a public debate on Wednesday about a new Constitution that is likely to continue President José Eduardo dos Santos’s grip on power.
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JSC will define our trajectory
Fudge, muddle and mediocrity are the emerging modus operandi for resolving tension between law and politics
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Hands off provinces, De Klerk tells Zuma
FW de Klerk warned President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday against changing the Constitution to enable the government to rein in the powers of the provinces.
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Zim begins work on new Constitution
Zimbabwe on Wednesday launched efforts to write a new Constitution to pave the way to fresh elections, a key step in the country’s power-sharing pact.
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A lowering of the bar
Those who care about our constitutional democracy need to speak out and act now to protect the judicial role as one of its vital guardians.
