Chairperson, it is an honour for me to participate in this important debate on human rights. As we marked the 51st anniversary of Human Rights Day on 21 March, we acknowledge what we as a nation have achieved thus far.
We have a Constitution that safeguards the Bill of Rights. We have Chapter 9 institutions that ensure that those rights are protected and promoted. Chairperson, the question, however, that we need to ask ourselves today, is: Are we still on track or have we lost focus? The bold answer is: No. We are not on track and we have completely lost the plot.
South Africa was hailed as a beacon of hope and champion of human rights, post-1994; however, in recent years we have seen our human rights record fall in disgrace.
The fundamental pillar of our foreign policy has been the promotion of human rights. Since 1999, the shift has been to economic diplomacy, which has seen South Africa enter into relations with very questionable countries who are world-renowned for human rights abuses, like China, North Korea and Zimbabwe.
Our track record in the United Nations Security Council leaves much to be desired. We hope that we use this new term of office to redeem our pride. We have been quiet about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, where human rights abuses are still continuing as we speak.
Our support to Libya and our stance on the Ivory Coast are a case in point to illustrate that South Africa has lost its human rights moral high ground. Chairperson, our Constitution ensures freedom of speech and freedom of association and assembly, while we still observe acts of political intolerance like the one on Human Rights Day in Athlone, Cape Town. Furthermore, our Constitution says that: South Africa belongs to all who live in it and respect human dignity and equality.
Yet, we observed very brutal acts of violence against foreign nationals with acts of xenophobia in 2008. The South African Human Rights Commission reflects that:
The deepening levels of inequality, continued unemployment and structured poverty, are endemic in South African society and exacerbate an already fragile tension.
People resort to violence to resolve their issues or to get the authorities' attention on poor service delivery. Social conflict and discrimination are a source of concern in South Africa and this should be changed by holding the government accountable.
Chairperson, we cannot celebrate dignity and equality while South Africa is the most unequal society in the world and people are still trapped in poverty. We don't have access to basic services like water, roads, housing, electricity and education. All these basic services are enshrined in our Bill of Rights, yet people still struggle.
They feel that their dignity is compromised and they are less equal than others. People feel poverty, not freedom, because of unemployment. Poverty still remains our biggest enemy and is the one that erodes a sense of dignity and self-worth.
Peace in Africa and the world is important. Hence, we call upon the government to champion the ratification and implementation of the African Union, AU, Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. This charter promotes adherence to universal values and principles of democracy and respect for human rights, for the attainment of peace, security and democratic governance in Africa, which will erode all the conflicts that we are experiencing in Africa.
The DA's open opportunity society for all ensures that opportunities are open for all South African citizens irrespective of race, gender or class, where an individual's dignity and worth are protected. The DA believes in equality before the law, respect for individual rights, upholding of the Constitution and the rule of law. This ensures that there is recognition of dignity, equality, freedom, justice and peace.
In conclusion, Chairperson, South Africa should understand its role in the international community and we should be taking our role very seriously as the biggest democracy and champion of human rights in Africa and the beacon of hope for the world.
We need to work hard to remedy our dented international image by upholding our founding principle of promotion and protection of human rights, thereby ensuring dignity, equality, freedom, justice and peace for all. Democracy, good governance and respect for human rights will make us achieve the African agenda. I thank you. [Applause.]