South Africa's first non-racial election takes place on 27 April. The PAC also agrees to participate at the last minute.

This election produces 400 leaders in the National Assembly and 90 in the Senate. In terms of Section 68(1) of the interim Constitution, a joint sitting of these bodies forms the Constitutional Assembly, which is established on 9 May. Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as democratic South Africa's first president on 10 May.

The Constitutional Assembly has to work within particular parameters. These are the requirement of a two-thirds majority for the adoption of the text, compliance with 34 constitutional principles agreed to in the interim Constitution, and the adoption of a new constitution within two years.

In June the constitutional committee is established. This becomes the premier multiparty negotiating body in the Constitutional Assembly. It is led by Ramaphosa and Meyer.

In September six theme committees are established to receive and collate the views of all parties on the substance of the Constitution.

In an advertising campaign is launched to elicit public views on what should be in the Constitution.

On 19 September the first consolidated draft of the new Constitution is produced. A month later the first refined working draft is published.

But by there are 68 outstanding issues that need to be settled.

Concern mounts that the Constitutional Assembly might not be able to finish its work by 8 May 1996 - the deadline.

But at the beginning of April, the Arniston Multilateral is held and the parties resolve their differences. Later in the month, the channel between Ramaphosa and Meyer is reinstated to find solutions.

By 22 April several sticking points remain: the death penalty, the lockout clause, the property clause, the appointment of judges and the attorney-general, language, local government, the question of proportional representation and the bar against members of parliament crossing the floor.

On 23 April the draft is tabled without key outstanding issues being resolved. Two days later, negotiators table 298 amendments - but most are of a technical rather than substantial nature.

On 8 May, after a two-year process, the final text is adopted and on 1 July the Constitutional Court's certification hearing begins. But on 6 September the Court finds that the text does not comply with the constitutional principles and refuses to certify it.

The text is amended; in October it is adopted by the Constitutional Assembly and sent to the Constitutional Court again. On 18 November the Court's second hearing begins and on 4 December it certifies the final text.

Nelson Mandela signs the Constitution into law in Sharpeville, in Vereeniging, on 10 December, which is international Human Rights Day.

The Constitution comes into effect on . The week of 17 to 21 March is named national Constitution Week: more than seven million copies of the Constitution are distributed in all 11 languages.