South Africa is a constitutional democracy with some of the most extensive legal protections for minority rights in the world. One of the key features of the Constitution is that its powers are limited, meaning that no one person or group (including Parliament) can change any section of it without getting approval from at least two-thirds of all members of parliament. The Constitution contains a Bill of Rights, which guarantees a variety of civil and political rights in South Africa. The Constitution describes three branches of government: the legislative branch, or Parliament; the executive branch, headed by the president; and the judicial branch. The authorities can be taken to court if they cannot act in line with the Constitution.
Key feature of the Constitution
The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. This means that no law or policy can conflict with it. The Constitution limits the powers of the executive and parliament.
The Constitution also sets out several fundamental rights and freedoms, including those related to equality, privacy, property ownership and freedom of religion.
The Constitution contains a Bill of Rights, which guarantees a variety of civil and political rights in South Africa. The Bill of Rights is the most important part of the Constitution because it sets out what your rights are as an individual.
The three branches of government
The Constitution describes three branches of government: the legislative branch, or Parliament; the executive branch, headed by the president; and the judicial branch.
The executive branch handles the day-to-day running of the country. It comprises all ministers and deputy ministers who are appointed by Parliament to head government departments that deal with specific areas like education or defence. Their role is to implement policies made by Parliament and keep South Africa running smoothly by setting goals for their departments and monitoring how well they meet them.
The legislative branch makes laws on behalf of society—for example, it could pass laws that say all citizens must pay taxes or must be educated up until age 18 before they can get a job. The courts interpret these laws when there’s a dispute over whether someone has broken one of them—for example, if someone says he didn’t pay his taxes because he didn’t earn any money last year! If both sides agree that this happened but disagree about whether it was legal then we would go to the court where judges decide who wins based on what our Constitution says about taxes (and other things).
Consequences of failing to act in line with the Constitution.
In South Africa, the courts have a constitutional duty to review the lawfulness of administrative action. This means that sometimes they may be asked to decide if a particular administrative decision is legal. The Constitution also provides for the judiciary to check that public bodies are acting within their powers when they make certain decisions.
The courts can also review decisions made by private bodies if they believe such decisions infringe on basic rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy with some of the most extensive legal protections for minority rights in the world. It has a written constitution, which was adopted in 1996 after decades of struggle against apartheid (a system of racial segregation). Besides protecting equality and human rights, it also guarantees freedom of speech and association.
Conclusion
In short, South Africa’s Constitution is a powerful document that protects our rights and freedoms as citizens. Through the courts, the Constitution has been used to enforce a positive change in our country—from ending apartheid to ensuring access to water for all citizens. So if you’re ever unsure about your rights as a citizen or resident of South Africa, take comfort in knowing that there is nothing more important than these documents which protect us from abuse by those who control power at any level.
