Celebrating 30 years of Democracy


Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and
Sustainability.


Coinciding with a pivotal period as the country prepared to hold its seventh (7th) democratic
polls, the month of April 2024 marked 30 years of South Africa’s democracy.


This milestone presented a good place to reflect on gains made since the turn of the regime in
1994, and on challenges that continue to confront South Africans.


In line with its mandate as lawmaker for the Gauteng province and service delivery watchdog
on the Gauteng Provincial Government (GP), the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) has put
together a comprehensive programme to celebrate and reflect on the 30 years of democracy.


The programme will run for the next 12 months, i.e. launching in March 2025 and running until
March 2026.


During this period, the GPL’s Presiding Officers, namely: Speaker, Deputy Speaker,
Chairperson of Committees, and Deputy Chairperson of Committees will lead diverse
initiatives that invite Gauteng residents to share insights and experiences of the past three (3)
decades in a free South Africa.


There will also be a reflection on historical events that led up to the turning point in 1994, and
how they continue to impact the present-day South Africa.
The programme aims to reinforce constitutional and democratic values and ideals, and
heralding the importance of civic engagement and active citizenry as crucial building blocks of
a truly free society.


As the Parliament of the people of Gauteng, the GPL leads diverse social outreach programs
to drive civic education on human rights – in particular the Citizens’ hard earned right to
participate in statutory processes and decision-making concerning service delivery.


Presiding Officers also intend to shine the spotlight of Gauteng’s very own icons, who put their
lives on the line in the fight against the unjust regime of the time. These are men and women
whose story must be told to generations, for their sacrifices that led to the attainment of a
democratic South Africa.


In celebrating 30 years of a democratic South Africa, the GPL also intends to document its
achievements realized over the three decades of its existence.


The programme will profile and raise create awareness about the GPL’s mandate as given by
the people of Gauteng, which includes:

  • Lawmaking: Making laws that address the specific needs of the province.
  • Oversight: Performing oversight to keep the Gauteng Provincial Government
    functioning optimally.
  • Public Participation: Inviting Gauteng residents to participate in legislative
    processes to hold their government accountable.
  • Co-operative governance: Ensuring that the National, Provincial, and Local
    government spheres work collaboratively in Gauteng.