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THULI MADONSELA: The making of a strong constitution
As Mauritius mulls over revamping its constitution, it would do well to not leave too much in the hands of the politicians
A few days ago, while giving a public lecture in Mauritius, I was asked why it should be necessary to enshrine socioeconomic rights in the constitution, given that Mauritius is already a welfare state. That question followed a public lecture I gave as a guest of the minister of justice, human rights & institutional reforms, Maneesh Gobin, as Mauritius looks to SA as it reviews its constitution after 50 years of independence. Mauritius has some parallels with SA’s history of slavery, indentured labour and colonialism. Its 1968 constitution sought to heal the wounds left by its unjust past. There are good lessons from Mauritius’s own democracy journey — not least that 50 years after independence, it has had no military coups or bloodshed. Seeking to adapt its constitutional framework, to ensure a better responsiveness to society’s changing needs, shows admirable wisdom. While a timeless constitution is a good thing, failure to adapt in the face of fundamental changes or expectations c...
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