What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to determine how citizens in South Africa can effectively engage with the state to ensure accountability for constitutional rights.

May 25, 2026Open Access

The power of constitutional dialogue: bringing the voices of ordinary South Africans inside the walls of parliament

Key Points

The aim is to determine how citizens in South Africa can effectively engage with the state to ensure accountability for constitutional rights.
Inclusive dialogue convened involving civil society, executive, judiciary, and legislature.
Focus on exploring accountability mechanisms and avenues for citizen engagement.
Protests highlight the demand for safe spaces for communication.
Discussions revealed strategies for enhancing citizen assertiveness in accountability processes.

Abstract

The voices of South Africans increasingly raised in protest underscore the need to create safe spaces where the state and citizens can hear one another. Last week, the HSRC, the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (NFDI), and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) convened an inclusive dialogue between civil society, the executive, the judiciary and the legislature, to explore the question, 'How can all who live in South Africa be assertive in holding the three branches of the state accountable for delivering on the fundamental rights in the constitution'.

The power of constitutional dialogue: bringing the voices of ordinary South Africans inside the walls of parliament

Key Points

Abstract

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