WHAT should constitutional democracy mean to all South Africans? If many today fail to embrace it, what catastrophe might we face, supposing all things were to go awry, and some were to resort to scorched earth policy? Supposing the farcical nature of corruption and of bad and corrosive governance is not arrested, what would happen to democratic principles?

The opening sentiments sound pessimistic. However, with the Constitution serving as a torchlight, the country should have the capacity to survive the storms of human greed feeding and fuelling malpractices and unconstitutional practices committed by the powerful in high places of government.

The preamble of the Constitution states: “We, the people of