Human Rights Day must be honoured by all
Special days such as Human Rights Day should be commemorated fittingly and not used by people to just sit at home and do nothing.
POLOKWANE – Special days such as Human Rights Day should be commemorated fittingly and not used by people to just sit at home and do nothing.
This is according to Miss Limpopo 2013, Sheila Mmutle, who expressed her concern over the way in which such days are celebrated, saying people ignored important days.
Human Rights Day was declared a public holiday in 1994 following the appointment of former president Nelson Mandela. This national holiday is both a severe reminder of the tragic Sharpeville massacre and a celebration of South Africa’s unique constitution, which gives equal rights to all, she says.
“The day is an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy our freedom. We have really come far and therefore we have to use Human Rights Day to recognise the heroes who fought so hard for our country.
“As it is, it seems that people are just happy to have an extra day to spend at home, when they should actually be doing something to assist the community,” she says.
Mmutle further says the nation still has a lot of problems and people, especially the young people, have to stand up and try to resolve them.
“Programmes should be implemented to educate people. The media should also be used as a platform to educate people and resources should be used to project the right messages to everyone.
“We need to embrace the freedom we have as there is nothing more beautiful than being free,” she says.
Mmutle is currently participating in one-on-one sessions with girls aged between 12 to 18 years to motivate and encourage them to live a healthy life.
She is studying towards a diploma in financial management and says she is looking forward to graduating in July. She further urges young people to stand their ground and build a better society for all.
