Resumen de Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments: A Critical Assessment of the 1996 South African Constitution’s Local and International Influence ( Rosalind Dixon & Theunis Roux eds., Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Brian Ray

• One of the crucial elements of our constitutional vision is to make a decisive break from the unchecked abuse of State power and resources that was virtually institutionalized during the apartheid era . . . constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law constitute the sharp and mighty sword that stands ready to chop the ugly head of impunity off its stiffened neck.1 On the third and final day of testimony by former South African President Jacob Zuma before a commission inquiring into “state capture” and public corruption,2 the head of South Africa’s independent anti-corruption agency, the Public Protector, held a press conference announcing the release of a report finding that President Cyril Ramaphosa violated ethics rules and the 1996 Constitution by deliberately misleading Parliament regarding a large campaign donation from Bosasa, a logistics company implicated in a major government corruption scandal.3 Several critics of the Public Protector...