Editing Politics of South Africa (section)

==Constitution==
{{Main|Constitution of South Africa}}
[[File:ConstitutionalCourtofSouthAfrica-20070622.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Constitutional Court is seated in [[Johannesburg]] on Constitution Hill. It is the final arbiter of the constitution and its decisions are binding on all courts in the Republic]]

Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution. This constitution required the [[Constituent Assembly]] (CA) to draft and approve a permanent constitution by 9 May 1996. The present constitution was passed in 1996 and promulgated by President Nelson Mandela in 1997. It is the highest law in the land; all other laws are expected to abide by and conform to the principles of the constitution. The Constitution not only sets out the structure of the three branches of government and the fundamental human rights of all of South Africa's people, but it provides for the management of public funding, the delineation of the boundaries and organization of Provinces, the formation of [[Chapter nine institutions|Chapter 9 Institutions]] to hold the government accountable.