South Africa's Constitution is under the spotlight at a three-day conference in Gauteng hosted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday opened the floor to what would inevitably be stark criticism from human rights defenders, lawyers and other stakeholders who took part in panels looking at whether South Africa's Constitution serves the purpose it was written for.

Ramaphosa gave the keynote address at a three-day National Conference on the Constitution in Midrand, Gauteng. After highlighting the many socioeconomic crises facing South Africa, Ramaphosa said he hoped the conference would help shape a way forward, with special emphasis on the independence and power of the judiciary in promoting fundamental rights.

He gave room for delegates to question whether the Constitution has served its purpose.

"I will at the end pose whether what I've just said has really manifested itself in the way it was envisaged in terms of the transformational purpose that our people expected," said Ramaphosa.

"The purpose of the Constitution is to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights...

"Working together with Parliament, I think there should be an opportunity...