Human Rights Month is celebrated in March focusing especially on Human Rights Day (21 March) in South Africa. Usually a public holiday, this year it\u2019s on a Saturday, which means we don\u2019t have a holiday. However, the upside to it is that we can still celebrate the establishment of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) throughout the month.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s because of Human Rights Day and its history that we as a country have our rights, which are so valuable to us. We understand the significance of having human rights and roaming our South African streets freely.<\/p>\n
Origin of Human Rights Day<\/strong><\/p>\n This day is both a celebration of the rights of all citizens and a solemn remembrance of the suffering and sacrifice of the terrible 1960 Sharpeville massacre and the struggle against apartheid. Sixty years ago, South Africans gathered to protest against the pass laws that restricted and controlled travel, dictating when, where, and for how long black South Africans could stay within white areas. Saddening, we saw 69 deaths and a further 180 injuries after police opened fire on these protestors.<\/p>\n The long struggle in Sharpeville was finally resolved on 27 April 1994, with the democratic election of President Nelson Mandela. The SAHRC was then launched on 21 March 1996. After these events, 35 years to be exact, Mandela declared 21 March Human Rights Day in remembrance of the happenings and in celebration of the newly-established freedoms for all South Africans.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s Constitution<\/strong><\/p>\n Being hailed as one of the most progressive in the world, our Constitution is the ultimate protector of our human rights, which include:<\/p>\n We all need to demonstrate this kind of responsibility that we would like to see in our workplace, within communities, at schools, with our partners and children, and in our country\u2019s future. The future, including today and building on what we\u2019ve achieved so far.<\/p>\n\n