The simple definition to give for the term Human Rights is that these are rights of humans as everyone would understand that way. My own definition is that these are the norms of how people should conduct themselves everywhere as written in the Constitution and a way they should be protected using those same rights. As section 7 of the Constitution states that “(1) This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy
in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom. (2) The state must respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights”. What should be prioritized is that people respect these rights as I focus on human dignity when looking at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTQIA+) community. It is terrible to even imagine that they face discrimination despite the fact that this has been addressed numerous times. “How are they different from us?” is a question I frequently ask people. or “why should they live in fear just because we don’t like the way they are and their feelings?” and I would get no response. Human Rights Day is a day when South Africans remember what they went through to attain freedom or democracy, but there is also segregation among us. I usually say that oppression is over, but it isn’t because there are still people who live in fear of being judged, raped, or killed because of who they are. Human Rights Day should be a day to protect these individuals from homophobic and transphobic violence as they face torture, cruelty every day.
What needs to be addressed to people of South Africa is what freedom means. Freedom means to have the power to be able to do anything that you want but if it does not hurt other people’s feelings while doing it. There is freedom of speech, freedom from discrimination, freedom of expression, of thought, of choice, of religion, of association etc, and these needs to be practiced. In our country, it is time to take such issues seriously in order to promote equality and peace among our people, and those who do not follow these rules should be taken into custody. Section 9(3) of the Constitution states that: “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth”. This proves that those who still discriminate people because of their gender or sex are committing crime.
Broadly speaking, because the saying “Umuntu, umuntu ngabantu” exists, we as South Africans should support one another through businesses and other means. You cannot expect to live a happy life on your own; the people you are looking down on and discriminating against are the same people who will help you in the future. “Isondo liyajikajika” is a Zulu proverb that means “the wheel will keep turning.” You may be wealthy now and believe you don’t need anyone’s help, but the future is uncertain. Obtaining democracy served the purpose of uniting the people of our country, and this is what we should do: unite and make our country a better place for future generations. Everything should begin with us.
