Parliament Theme Books Launch


President Cyril Ramaphosa together with the Speaker of the National Assembly Ms Baleka Mbete and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Ms Thandi Modise, will later today launch Theme Books published to celebrate the constitution and the centenary birthdays of Madiba and MaSisulu.

2017 marked the 20th anniversary of the Constitution which came into effect on 4 February 1997 and the establishment of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 6 February 1997. A key aspect of the anniversary was to invite those who were close to the Constitution drafting process to write about that ground-breaking moment in our history.

The books, which Parliament is launching today, are a product of that initiative. They contain contributions and perspectives from a wide range of current and past Members of Parliament and other South Africans who reflect, among others, on the:

  • Character of The Democratic State,
  • Structure of Government,
  • Relationship between Spheres of Government
  • Judicial System in our New Democratic Dispensation, and
  • Specialised Structures of Government.

Leaders of political parties; members of the Executive; the Tambo, Mandela and Sisulu families; and leaders of civil society formations such as the academia are also expected to grace the launch ceremony.