background-image="img/mandela-constitution-gray.jpg" ## Constitution * sets basic rules for country → important to judge democratic, free and effective a government can be → most likely will be --- ### History * 1910: Voting rights only for Whites * 1961: Republic * 1983: Tricameral (white, coloured, indian) parliament * 1994 (Interim constitution): Rights for everyone * 4 constitutions before current one * 1910: Made by Whites. Voting rights only for Whites. * 1960: SA became republic. No rights for Blacks. * 1983: Tricameral parliament (white, coloured, indian). No rights for blacks outside of the specific local area they were born in * 1994: Interim constitution: Rights for everyone, negotiated by 26 parties --- background-image="img/mandela-constitution.jpg" ### Current Constitution (1996) * Past inequality was considered * Human rights play an important part * Eleven official languages * Other person: Cyril Ramaphosa (current president) * Signed in 1996 by president Nelson Mandela; came into effect in 1997 * Being new: Chance to learn from other democracies, their mistakes and the own past * Human rights: important part → later * 11 official languages; everyone can use the language of their choice * Electoral system →