Ramaphosa says gaps between constitutional promises and reality must be confronted

By Thapelo Molefe

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that despite the Constitutional Court’s historic role in defending democracy, the country faces a disconnect between the promise of the Constitution and the lived realities of South Africans.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Constitutional Court on Friday, Ramaphosa cited persistent inequality, threats to judicial independence, a lack of implementation of court orders and erosion of trust in institutions as ongoing challenges.

“The reality we must confront is that there are significant challenges with constitutionalism today. The promise of the Constitution is far from fully realised,” he said.

The Constitutional Court was established in a newly democratic South Africa, and this was seen as a bold institutional response to a history that had denied the majority of South Africans their basic human rights. 

It was then tasked with interpreting and safeguarding the rights enshrined in the Constitution.

“But its role