Human Rights Day is a national day that is commemorated annually in South Africa on March 21st. It is done to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy and freedom in South Africa on March 21st each year.

On this day in 1960, about 5,000 people gathered outside the police station in Sharpeville, a township in the Gauteng province. The crowd was peaceful but demanding to be arrested for disobeying the inhuman pass laws. Instead, police guns blazed, and 69 people died.

Human Rights Day is a public holiday in South Africa. The general population has a day off, and schools and most businesses are closed.

On March 21, 1960, police officers in a Black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive laws. 

The purpose of celebrating Human Rights Day is commemoration. The country has an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in protecting and promoting human rights. 

Different parties came together for the abolition of South Africa’s passed law. Other basic human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights without discrimination.

The Human Rights Day theme is: “Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future,” and exploring some of these concepts would be helpful. This day reminds South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa.

Challenges Of Human Rights are Organization violence and extreme conflicts.

Religious and traditional brainwashing.

Poverty. 

Global inequality. 

Torture of human rights defenders. 

Insecurity. 

Weak institutions. 

Human rights are essential for the development of the society.

Let us conclude by a profound quote of one of the greatest men (President Nelson Mandela) in South African history: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

This was written by our contributing writer, Duet Mlotshwa.