About this edition

This edition of the Constitution of South Africa was produced to be:

• easy to read on a mobile phone
• easy to print efficiently
• easy to read
• under no copyright.

The Constitution was promulgated on 18 December 1996, and commenced on 4 February 1997. It has been changed by Amendment Acts since then. This edition includes the following amendments:

• Constitution First Amendment Act of 1997
• Constitution Second Amendment Act of 1998**
• Constitution Third Amendment Act of 1998
• Constitution Fourth Amendment Act of 1999
• Constitution Fifth Amendment Act of 1999
• Constitution Sixth Amendment Act of 2001
• Constitution Seventh Amendment Act of 2001
• Constitution Eighth Amendment Act of 2002
• Constitution Ninth Amendment Act of 2002
• Constitution Tenth Amendment Act of 2003 (with effect from 20 March 2003)
• Constitution Eleventh Amendment Act of 2003 (with effect from 11 July 2003)**
• Constitution Twelfth Amendment Act of 2005 (with effect from 1 March 2006 – Proc. R8 / GG 28568 / 20060227)
• Constitution Thirteenth Amendment Act of 2007 (with effect from 14 December 2007)
• Constitution Fourteenth Amendment Act of 2008 (with effect from 17 April 2009 – Proc. R21 / GG 32130 / 20090416)
• Constitution Fifteenth Amendment Act of 2008 (with effect from 17 April 2009 – Proc. R22 / GG 32130 / 20090416)
• Constitution Sixteenth Amendment Act of 2009 (with effect from 3 April 2009 – Proc. R20 / GG 32091 / 20090402)
• Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2013 (with effect from 23 August 2013 – Proc. R35 / GG 36774 / 20130822)

* The Act was amended by section 4 of the Constitution Second Amendment Act of 1998, by the substitution for the expression “Human Rights Commission”, wherever it occurs, of the expression “South African Human Rights Commission”.
** The above-mentioned Amendment Acts were amended by the Citation of Constitutional Laws Act 5 of 2005.