The significance of Human Rights Month
Keep an eye on our websites for a series of articles that will focus on each of the human rights stated in the constitution and why they are all so important in restoring the dignity of South African citizens.
ALTHOUGH South Africa’s Human Rights Day is historically linked to the Sharpeville Massacre and the events of March 21, 1960. March, which is South Africa’s Human Rights Month, is a time when South Africans should reflect on how far we have come as a nation, especially regarding our basic human rights. South Africa has a remarkable constitution, which takes into account the rights of men, women and children, but Human Rights Month should serve as a reminder of a time, not too long ago, when the majority of people in South Africa had no basic rights and were actively oppressed on a daily basis.
As we celebrate Human Rights Month, we should remember and acknowledge the great strides made in achieving a democracy based on non-racialism and non-discrimination. The South African constitution is widely acknowledged, not only as one of the most progressive constitutions but also as a transformative constitution with its primary concern being to facilitate change in political, economic and social relations in South Africa.
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Just 75 years ago, the apartheid government passed the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949, which prohibited marriage or a sexual relationship between white people and people of other race groups in South Africa. This act, among many other laws that were passed during the apartheid era, was introduced by the apartheid government as part of its overall policy of separateness.
Today, the South African Constitution focuses on human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedom, non-racialism and non-sexism, a national common voters’ roll, regular elections and a multiparty system of democratic government to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness.
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To highlight the strides that South Africa has made in affording its citizens with the basic human rights that they deserve, we will be running a series this March that focuses on each of the human rights stated in the constitution and why they are all so important in restoring the dignity of South African citizens and improving their quality of life. Keep an eye out for the upcoming articles on our websites.
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