The political and constitutional advances which have been achieved since the 1994 democratic elections continue to serve as a platform of which a fully democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous society can be built. The ANC-led government has made great strides in creating mechanisms for citizens to participate on an ongoing basis and not just during elections. This is evident in the policy and legislative framework and the establishment of numerous statutory bodies, structures and programmes like the Batho Pele White Paper of 1997.