President Cyril Ramaphosa pointed out on Monday that when citizens consider the deteriorating state of human rights and fundamental freedoms in many parts of the world, they are mindful of a moral responsibility to strive for human rights for everybody across the world.

Ramaphosa was writing to the nation in his weekly letter ahead of South Africa’s Human Rights Day, on Thursday.

He recalled the Sharpeville Massacre of March 21, 1960, when apartheid police killed 69 unarmed protesters who were taking a stand against the apartheid pass laws. 

“As we commemorate the tragic events that took place in Sharpeville in 1960, and recommit ourselves to the cause of human freedom, we stand firm in our position that human rights for only some are human rights for none. Let us all continue to advance and protect the human rights of all who live in South Africa,” he highlighted.

Ramaphosa noted that over the past three decades, citizens have worked together to undo the terrible legacy of apartheid.

However, he said the effects of apartheid persist in health, educational and developmental outcomes, access to basic services and infrastructure, as well as in the racialised nature of poverty, unemployment, inequality and exclusion.

He said Human Rights Month is an opportunity to assess the progress citizens have made over the past three decades to advance the Bill of Rights set out in the country’s Constitution, as well as to reflect honestly on where citizens have fallen short.

The results of Census 2022 released last year highlight the progress government has made in giving effect to the rights contained in the country’s Constitution.

He said 30 years into South Africa’s democracy, people continue to enjoy the shelter and protection of the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution.

He said that the forebears who took up the struggle in defence of liberty and human rights at Sharpeville enjoyed no such protection, saying as a result of their struggles citizens now enjoy these rights.

“We have to stand together united as we work for the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. We should not be in denial about our shortcomings and strive to overcome them with urgency,” he said.

For millions of South Africans, lack of access to basic services, unemployment and lack of opportunity affect the most fundamental of human rights – the right to dignity, Ramaphosa said.

“As we continue to work towards realising the basic human rights of all South Africans, we are reminded that these rights are universal. That all people, everywhere, have basic rights and should be free to exercise them,” he stated.