Today, as we celebrate Human Rights Day, with load shedding looming around us, one is forced to ponder on this basic human right, the right to energy; that is a contributor to the well-being of our people.
Human Rights Day was officially proclaimed a public holiday when Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first democratic President. A day that is historically linked with the events of Sharpeville, where 69 people lost their lives and 180 were wounded when police fired on a peaceful crowd that had gathered in protest against the Pass Laws. The 21st of March 1960 is an iconic date in our country’s history, as it’s a reminder of the cost paid for our human rights. On this day, South Africans are asked to reflect on their rights and to protect their rights as well as the rights of all people from violation, irrespective of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, whether foreign national or not; human rights apply equally to everyone.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner of United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), rebirth often follows decimation. Thus, in the aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were adopted and approved in 1996 respectively. Our Constitution is hailed one of the most progressive in the world, as it is the ultimate protector of our human rights, whilst the Bill of Rights embeds the rights of all the people in our country in an enduring affirmation of the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom.
As the OHCHR reinvigorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showing the ways it meets the needs of our time, and advancing its promise of freedom, equality, and justice for all, we, South Africans are going through an era of energy crisis - the undocumented right that has direct impact on modern communication, education, health, transport, and security.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner of United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), rebirth often follows decimation. Thus, in the aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were adopted and approved in 1996 respectively. Our Constitution is hailed one of the most progressive in the world, as it is the ultimate protector of our human rights, whilst the Bill of Rights embeds the rights of all the people in our country in an enduring affirmation of the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom.
Well written piece!!