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Selective human rights are rights for none

Later this week, on 21 March, South Africa will celebrate Human Rights Day.

On that day, we will remember the Sharpeville Massacre of 21 March 1960, when apartheid police shot dead 69 unarmed protesters who were standing against the apartheid regime’s unfair pass laws.

The events in Sharpeville on that day were one of the worst violations of human rights in our history and attracted worldwide condemnation. It was after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 that the United Nations (UN) Security Council adopted its first resolution condemning violence by the apartheid regime.

Six years later, the UN General Assembly called apartheid a crime against humanity. It also declared 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to highlight racial injustice everywhere.

Thirty years into democracy, all South Africans continue to enjoy the protection of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. Our ancestors who fought for liberty and human rights at Sharpeville didn’t have this protection. Because of their struggles, we now have these rights.

Apart from the hated pass laws, black South Africans were denied basic rights. The racist regime decided where they could live, what schools they could attend, who they could marry, what jobs they could do, and how much they could earn.

Apartheid was so cruel that there was even a law segregating public facilities by race. Signs saying “Whites Only” or “Net Blankes” were put up in stores, on benches, in playgrounds, and even on beaches.

For those born after apartheid, it’s hard to imagine such deep-seated racism, but it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come in building a non-racial, equal, and free country.

Over the past three decades, we’ve worked to undo apartheid’s legacy, but its effects persist in health, education, access to services, and poverty.

Human Rights Month is a chance to see how far we’ve come and where we’ve fallen short. The results of the 2022 Census show progress in fulfilling the rights in our Constitution.

Government policies have reduced poverty, improved services, and increased participation in the economy. As we approach our 7th democratic election, we’re reminded of the freedoms we enjoy, like freedom of speech and assembly, and a free media that promotes transparency.

Since adopting our Constitution in 1996, we’ve committed to democracy, the rule of law, and protecting human rights. This puts a big responsibility on all South Africans to uphold our Bill of Rights.

We must work together to ensure human rights for all, acknowledging our failures and addressing them urgently. Lack of services, unemployment, and lack of opportunity deny dignity to millions of South Africans.

As we strive for everyone’s rights here, we remember that these rights are universal. We cannot truly be free until everyone is free.

Seeing human rights violations worldwide, we have a moral duty to fight for human rights everywhere.

As we remember the tragedy of Sharpeville and renew our commitment to human freedom, we stand firm: human rights for some are human rights for none. Let’s keep advancing and protecting the rights of all South Africans.

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