CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
ONE hundred years ago, in May 1923, the first bill of rights in South Africa’s history was adopted by the African National Congress. It had no legal standing at the time, but it clearly expressed the desire for the equal rights of all people to be recognised and guaranteed.
After many decades of bitter struggle, these freedoms were enshrined in the Bill of Rights of our democratic Constitution. Therefore, as we gather tomorrow to celebrate Human Rights Day, we should recall that the rights we enjoy today are the result of great sacrifices.
Many people were imprisoned, many were driven into exile and many lost their lives so that our basic human rights are protected and upheld.
Given our country’s repressive past, some of the most valued of those rights are the rights to freedom of expression and association. Our Constitution guarantees every person “the right, peacefully and
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