On 4 February 1997, the new Constitution of the Republic of South Africa came into force. The country’s Constitution has been hailed as one of the most progressive in the world. It was approved by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996 and signed by President Nelson Mandela in Sharpeville, Gauteng on 10 December 1996. Among the laws contained by the Constitution is the Bill of Rights, which is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in South Africa and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
References

Burger, D. (ed)(2002). South Africa Yearbook 2001/02, Pretoria: GCIS, p. 299.|Tourism North West, ‘Governance: North West Provincial Government’, [online], Available at www.tourismnorthwest.co.za [Accessed: 23 January 2012]|The South African Government Information, ‘Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996’, [online], Available at www.info.gov.za [Accessed: 23 January 2012]