Statement by Presiding Officers of Parliament – 25 Years of our Democracy
Tomorrow it will be 25 years since South Africans proclaimed: It’s time for the people to govern!
On that Wednesday, 27 April in 1994, we voted as equals for the very first time to elect the government of our choice. It was a historic turning point – away from a past of division, conflict and discrimination; towards a future bright with hope and boundless potential.
We went on to craft a Constitution to protect our aspirations of building a South Africa based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; to lay the foundation for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by the law; to improve the quality of life and free the potential of each person; and to build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
We also agreed that this Constitution would be the supreme law of our land, binding all organs of state and citizens. The supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law is another break with the past, when Parliament had the final say over laws.
Since 1994, we have laid the foundations for the South Africa of our dreams. Parliament, as the legislative authority of our democratic republic, has passed a raft of laws aimed at transforming and improving the material conditions of all South Africans.
The sixth democratic Parliament, which will be established as a result of the forthcoming election, will undoubtedly intensify and enhance the efforts of previous democratic Parliaments.
The elections of 8 May provide us with an opportunity for rejuvenation and recommitment to speeding up our journey towards the South Africa for which we all yearn.
We urge all registered voters to exercise the hard-won right, which we first exercised in 1994, to freely elect the government of their choice – a government based on the will of the people.
Enquiries:
Moloto Mothapo
Cell: 082 370 6930
