The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), on Wednesday 18 September 2019 hosted former South African Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, as keynote speaker at the Seventh Stellenbosch Annual Seminar on Constitutionalism in Africa (SASCA).

Manuel laid the foundation for the SASCA conference of which the theme this year is Constitutionalism and the Economy in Africa.

The conference is a three-day gathering of distinguished African law researchers, judges and legal practitioners as well as international scholars who have researched and published on the various issues related to constitutionalism. It runs from Wednesday, 18 to Friday, 20 September 2019.

During his keynote address, Manuel emphasised the importance of revising the constitution over time, so that it could truly serve its purpose in improving the lives of all South Africans. “You can have a constitution, but the key challenge is to live the constitution. The adoption of a constitution cannot be the end point. It has to be the beginning of an intensive and organised project to transform societies in the interest of the citizen," said Manuel.

Participants at SASCA will also explore the role the constitution plays in dealing with critical economic challenges on the continent. According to Manuel, there should be a system in place where the constitution can be used to measure the success, wealth and responsibility of leaders to build and improve on the economy.

“To improve the quality of life for all citizens can never be a once off. It is a continuous issue. If you want continuity of action, you must be able to measure that action. That's why the constitution can play a vital role in checking leaders, whether elected or unelected and make sure they are living up to the standards and values laid out in the constitution," said Manuel.

Among the other well-known speakers at the seminar are Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Mcebisi Jonas, who will lead a panel discussion that will focus on State capture: The private sector, the constitution and constitutionalism, which will take place on Friday, 20 September from 11:00 to 13:00.

According to Prof Edward Kirumira, Director: STIAS, the main aim of the seminar is to share ideas and help promote democracy and constitutionalism on the African continent. “The overall intention of the seminar is to see what needs to be done to lift the continent from the present democratic road. It's future thinking rather than just retrospective thinking. STIAS is a creative space for the mind and I'm glad that this seminar is pushing us to think critically about the topic issues. I hope that what comes out of the seminar will help lead us forward in Africa," said Kirumira.

For more information on the SASCA seminar visit http://stias.ac.za/.