December 1996
Constitution signed
President Nelson Mandela signed South Africa's final Constitution in December 1996 after a negotiated drafting and certification process.
View in timelinePresident Nelson Mandela signed South Africa's final Constitution in Sharpeville on 10 December 1996, after the Constitutional Assembly had completed the drafting process and the Constitutional Court had certified that the text complied with the agreed constitutional principles. The signing marked the public completion of a central legal stage in the transition from apartheid to democratic government.
Significance
The Constitution established a rights-based democratic order and provided the framework for the final constitutional settlement that came into force in February 1997.
Significance
Signing completed a major step before the Constitution came into force.
Why it matters
Signing completed the transition from the interim constitutional order to a rights-based democratic settlement that would become the country's supreme law.
Perspective notes
The Constitution emerged from negotiations among former opponents and was certified after constitutional principles were tested by the Constitutional Court. Its adoption represented a major democratic achievement, while debates over land, poverty and the practical reach of rights continued.