Johannesburg - Albie Sachs was on Wednesday awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Wits University, it said.
Sachs - a former Constitutional Court judge and anti-apartheid activist - was recognised for his “selfless dedication to human rights, and the expression in our Constitution of the democratic ideals for which he and many others fought”, the university said in a statement.
“Don’t trivialise the Constitution or Nelson Mandela; Don’t trash our institutions,” he said in his acceptance speech.
He asked graduates to respect and protect institutions of democracy.
“We fought so hard for them... Institutions consolidate those things we were fighting for. Revere them and protect them. Build them up. Make them vibrant.”
Sachs encouraged South Africans to speak to and debate with each other with civility and dignity.
“If you have a good argument, you don’t have to bellow. You don’t have to shout, you don’t have to be disruptive to others. You listen to others,” he said.
Sapa