Chairperson, let me see how I do with my sound byte. Our commitment to human rights is enshrined in our Constitution but for many of the poor and marginalised this commitment rings hollow. This commitment rings hollow for the thousands of fishing families along our coast who have been left destitute without any form of livelihood being provided for by the government.
It rings hollow for the millions of rural people who still do not enjoy the basic services of water, sanitation and electricity. It rings hollow for the one in ten children who needlessly die before their 5th birth day as a result of disease or poverty. It rings hollow for the millions of people who still live in shacks without the hope of housing being provided.
The ID believes that we need to commit ourselves to the social democratic vision contained in our Constitution and commit substantial resources to bridging the divides between what is in the Constitution and the daily reality that so many South Africans are subjected to. We need to extend the Child Support Grant to 18 years of age, implement a large-scale rural development programme, start building sustainable livelihoods and speak out forcefully against human rights abuse in the world, and then we can truly celebrate Human Rights Day in this country. [Time expired.]