Hon House Chairperson and hon members, Human Rights Day is a reminder of the tragic 1960 Sharpeville massacre, in which the police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid pass laws.
Today, South Africans, from all walks of life, use this day to celebrate our unique Constitution, which gives equal rights to all, and to take stock of the progress we are making to promote, develop and protect human rights in South Africa.
Impressive strides have been made since the advent of democracy in 1994. A larger number of people have access to basic services. However, these achievements are not enough, considering that millions of rural communities have no access to water and sanitation, while others are persistently marginalised in the provision of their basic human rights in areas such as health care, basic education, economic opportunities and social services.
In addition, our nation is characterised by high levels of poverty, reflected in its racial and regional dimensions. We all know that poverty is the greatest human rights violation. Coexisting with these high levels of poverty are extreme levels of inequality of income. It is common knowledge that the gap between the rich and the poor in South Africa is very high.
Over the past few weeks, we have heard numerous debates relating to the topic of gender equality. In these debates, we picked up certain common threads. We live in a society that has taken great strides towards gender equality since the inception of democracy, but we also have a long way to go. The scourge of misogyny and discrimination based on gender continues, and it is our mothers, our sisters and our daughters who are suffering. We have also seen the horrific crimes that have been committed against the women of South Africa. All of this put together undermines our efforts to promote, develop and protect human rights in South Africa.
We wake up daily to stories and incidents of police brutality, where those who are entrusted with protecting our people's human rights violate the same rights that they are supposed to protect. The situation has degenerated to the extent that police officers drag people behind police vans and fire at protesters.
To achieve socioeconomic freedom for all, our socioeconomic values must change towards those of mutual prosperity and interdependence. We should work towards a society whose interaction is based on the fundamental values of ubuntu. Drawing from these values would enable us to build an economic system that is based on the principles of love, mutual respect for human rights and mutual empowerment. Thank you, hon Chairperson.