bill of rights

The Constitutional Court is a powerful reminder of how far the country has come. Its Great African Steps are built of the bricks from Number Four prison, holding within them the memories of the countless prisoners denied their dignity. Its design is symbolic of "justice under a tree"; it is a masterpiece of the South African transition.

Apartheid denied people the right to vote, to work, to access education, to move freely, to love whomever they wanted to, to not be imprisoned without trial ... South Africa's groundbreaking Bill of Rights changed all that. We take a look at how far we've come over two decades of freedom.

Apartheid laws were designed to segregate South Africa’s population in terms of race. The majority suffered discrimination in terms of education, economic rights, social standing, and eventually even citizenship. Today, the Bill of Rights enshrines many rights denied in the past.

South Africa's ground-breaking Bill of Rights is widely regarded as one of the most progressive in the world. All South Africans should know their rights, and respect the rights of fellow citizens. Read the full text of the Bill of Rights.

The most recent Brand South Africa Sowetan Dialogues instalment tackled how human rights can be at odds with traditional practices, and how being familiar with the Bill of Rights can protect citizens' interests. 

Brand South Africa is continuing with its Play Your Part / Sowetan Dialogues, with the latest in the series to be held in Mmabatho in the North West province on 26 March, with a debate on the celebration of Human Rights Day, and whether South Africa's Bill of Rights works for ordinary citizens.

Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makgoba reflects on the Oscar Pistorius trial and the role that South Africans can play in respecting the constitutional state and its legal system.