This endorsement, shared by many, also directs us to ensure that human rights are upheld across our continent. From combating famine in the Horn of Africa, to defending gay rights in Uganda and ending the traditional subjugation of women in some communities, we must press for human rights norms to be observed.
It is always easier to be optimistic in good times and harder to show grace under pressure. Difficult days lie ahead and the last thing South Africa needs is a so-called "second transition", which aims to undo what so many worked hard to achieve. More than ever we need the certainty of our human- rights-inspired Constitution to guide us.
Let us be done with the governing party's rhetoric and proudly defend our Constitution. There is only one kind of "second transition" that will change South Africa for the better - the transition of a peaceful general election when a DA government is voted into office. [Applause.]