On Wednesday, 18 July, South Africans and the world will again celebrate the birthday of South Africa’s first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela. The day should remind us anew that each of us can help make our world a better place. As Madiba urged the younger generation: “It is in your hands now.” The United Nations declared the day Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009, in recognition of Madiba’s lifelong struggle against injustice.

This year we also celebrate the centenary birthdays of former President Mandela and Ms Albertina Sisulu. We can learn much from the principles by which they lived so that we enhance our efforts to realise, fully, the society envisioned in our Constitution. Eradicating the poverty, unemployment and inequality still afflicting too many people in our country requires unity of purpose from us all.  

Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee this week resumes its programme of public hearings in each of the nine provinces. Parliament mandated the committee to determine whether a review of section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses is necessary to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation and to propose constitutional amendments, where necessary.

This week, the public hearings are in the North West (on 17, 18 and 19 July) and in KwaZulu-Natal (on 18, 19, 20 and 21 July). 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.