South Africa supposedly has one of the best Constitutions in the world, one which is intended to control and constrain the exercise of power by the state so that it does not threaten the liberty and security of citizens. But, in reality, does the Constitution contribute more to the security of some groups than others? Does it help to ensure certain types of security but not others? And does it have greater impact on some institutions than others? This book describes how the Constitution has a signi ficant impact on the security of South African citizens and communities but that this impact is differential. The chapters in the book explain what accounts for the differences, examine the consequences of the different impacts and consider whether there are any general observations and hypotheses that emerge from comparative perspectives.