The irony of commemorating Freedom Day during a national disaster as declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in terms of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002, under lockdown conditions, is not lost on the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC).
As we commemorate the day from our homes, these circumstances give all within South Africa the opportunity to reflect on the basic rights the 27th April 1994 ushered in, casting a racially segregated past aside, in exchange for a constitutional democracy based on the foundations of freedom, equality and dignity.
The current limitations on rights such as freedom of movement, freedom of association and other rights imposed in terms of the disaster management regulations to curb the spread of the rapidly spreading deadly COVID-19 virus should remind us all, on this Freedom Day, that our human rights and freedoms should never be taken for granted but must be treasured and jealously safeguarded.
This Freedom Day, on the Eve of the Commission’s Twenty Fifth Anniversary, serves as an important reminder of the rights in the Bill of Rights which all in South Africa should cherish and defend.
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Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.