South AfricaZA

Article 199 of the Constitution of South Africa

Article
199
Chapter
CHAPTER 11 — SECURITY SERVICES
Index row title
(1) The security services of the Republic consist of a single defence force, a single police
Source document
The South Africa Constitution
Provision ID
59c53022-e0ca-4b97-a54d-15a823eeae3b

195 words

Verbatim text

service and any intelligence services established in terms of the Constitution. (2) The defence force is the only lawful military force in the Republic. (3) Other than the security services established in terms of the Constitution, armed organisations or services may be established only in terms of national legislation. (4) The security services must be structured and regulated by national legislation. (5) The security services must act, and must teach and require their members to act, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, including customary international law and international agreements binding on the Republic. (6) No member of any security service may obey a manifestly illegal order. (7) Neither the security services, nor any of their members, may, in the performance of their functions— (a) prejudice a political party interest that is legitimate in terms of the Constitution; or (b) further, in a partisan manner, any interest of a political party. Chapter 11: Security Services 104 (8) To give effect to the principles of transparency and accountability, multi-party parliamentary committees must have oversight of all security services in a manner determined by national legislation or the rules and orders of Parliament. Defence Defence force

What this means

  • The index files this text under article 199 of the Constitution of South Africa.
  • The index files it under the chapter heading “CHAPTER 11 — SECURITY SERVICES”.
  • The passage runs to about 195 words.

The row’s stored title is a body fragment, not a heading (“(1) The security services of the Republic consist of a single defence force, a single police”), so it is not used as the provision’s title here.

The index gives this passage an article number but stores a body fragment where a heading would be, so the number could not be cross-checked against the text. Check it against the official Constitution before relying on it in a citation.

No rights vocabulary from our fixed word list appears in this passage, so no plain-language reading is offered for it.

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How to cite this

Constitution of South Africa, article 199, Portable Lawyer, https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/59c53022-e0ca-4b97-a54d-15a823eeae3b (accessed 25 October 2026).

Canonical URL: https://www.portablelawyer.app/provision/59c53022-e0ca-4b97-a54d-15a823eeae3b

Accessed 25 October 2026.

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