Parliament, Saturday, 27 April 2024 – As we celebrate 30 years of our constitutional democracy today, Parliament reaffirms its dedication to protecting and expanding the frontiers of freedom and democracy. This includes fulfilling the founding provisions of the Constitution to ensure human dignity, achieve equality, and promote human rights through passing progressive laws.
This day, 27 April, marks a significant moment in South Africa’s history when people of all races and creeds – for the first time – voted for a government based on the will of the people, ending the brutal apartheid regime and its oppressive laws. This ushered in a new era where the law would protect all citizens equally, heal the divisions of the past, and unleash and develop everyone’s potential.
We crafted a Constitution to protect our aspirations of building a South Africa based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. Today, we pay tribute to the heroes of the struggle for democracy who fought and gave their lives for this hard-won freedom. As we prepare for the elections on 29 May, we also honour those unsung heroes who made our first democratic general election possible.
Thirty years ago on 9 May, Nelson Mandela was unanimously elected President in the National Assembly. Days later, on 24 May, he delivered the first State of the Nation Address in a democratically elected Parliament. President Mandela hailed the Constitution and the law as vanguards in the fight for change. He said that it is through legislative instruments that we can create a better life for all and through Parliament that there must be oversight of government and the people can influence policy and its implementation.
As the legislative arm of our democratic state, Parliament played a unique role in achieving the South Africa so many have fought for. Now, 30 years later, Parliament has, through law-making, among others, improved the lives of millions of people and has been crucial in supporting democracy and development.
Over the years, Parliament has consistently shown a steadfast commitment to its constitutional mandates. In its rigorous pursuit of effective oversight, its engagement in comprehensive legislative work, robust public participation, and strategic international collaboration, Parliament has not only advanced but also enriched the democratic tenets fundamental to our constitutional democracy.
As the People’s Parliament, the institution has been a voice for all South Africans by providing a national forum for public consideration and discourse on issues that affect them. Over the last three decades, Parliament repealed outdated apartheid-era legislation and passed legislation that has shaped the country's future and improved the lives of millions of South Africans.
Among these were landmark shifts in legislation that put the country on a progressive trajectory of inclusivity, transparency, and entrenching human rights. In a massive feat for women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, Parliament in 1996 passed the Termination of Pregnancy Act, which provides for abortion on demand within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Another significant law that entrenched the right to sexual orientation and passed by Parliament in 2006 recognised gay marriage – making it the first country on the continent to legalise same-sex marriages.
The passing of several bills has also enabled the country to make remarkable progress in various areas, such as access to water, education, healthcare, housing, and social assistance, among others. In 2004, Parliament passed two pieces of legislation that proved to be a game-changer in efforts to redress the social ills of our apartheid past. The Social Assistance Act and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Act provided a social assistance safety net through social grants payouts to millions of poor and marginalised South Africans. Today, almost 19 million South Africans benefit from social assistance.
Parliament continues to work around the clock to ensure that bills that seek to improve the country and the lived realities of our people are processed and passed. By December last year, Parliament had passed 24 of the 56 bills that were under consideration last year. As a testament to Parliament’s commitment to democracy, transparency, and inclusivity in the law-making process, 65 public hearings were held last year across provinces for public input on various pieces of legislation – all in an effort to offer opportunities for meaningful public involvement in law-making.
Among these bills passed is the National Health Insurance Bill – another landmark law that is set to transform access to universal healthcare for all. Another landmark piece of legislation – the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill – for the first time in the country’s history now enables independent candidates to contest elections for seats in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
More recently, three bills were introduced to improve public sector governance. These bills include the Public Service Commission Bill, the Public Administration Management Amendment Bill, and the Public Service Amendment Bill. The approval of these bills will result in a more professional public service, leading to efficient service delivery to the people of South Africa.
Despite significant progress, however, South Africa's social ills such as persistent poverty, corruption, crime and violence, unemployment, especially among youth, gender-based violence, and inequality continue to plague our society. To address these challenges decisively, we must unite and work cooperatively.
Parliament has made substantial progress in implementing the recommendations of the State Capture Commission, reflecting its firm commitment to combatting corruption. Through a series of legislative actions, oversight mechanisms, and transparency initiatives, Parliament has demonstrated its determination to address the systemic issues identified by the Commission.
Next month, South African citizens will go to the polls to vote in the 2024 national and provincial elections. Parliament urges all South Africans to mark this historic milestone of 30 years of democracy by going to the voting stations in their numbers next month to cast their votes.
As we celebrate 30 years of our constitutional democracy, Parliament affirms its dedication to expanding the frontiers of freedom. This includes fulfilling the founding provisions of the Constitution to ensure human dignity, achieving equality, and promoting human rights through law-making.
Parliament calls on all citizens to use this year's Freedom Day to reflect on their contribution towards shaping their daily realities and to reflect on our collective responsibilities as active citizens.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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