SA sward-winning poet says constitution does more to divide than unite
We need to have one constitution that treats everyone as one
AS South Africans marked Human Rights Day – as well as the 20th anniversary of the country’s much lauded constitution, South African liberation poet and author, Don Mattera, speaking at the Time of the Writer session at the KZN Society of the Arts in Glenwood last week, expressed his frustration and suggested the constitution be scrapped because it advocated division.
“We need to change the entire constitution. Instead of speaking of the human race, the constitution of this country clearly states that it protects Black rights, White rights, Indian rights and Coloured rights, and not a human being. Dividing these rights based on race does more harm to the unity of the country. We need to have one constitution that treats everyone as one. Our children are going to benefit a very ugly country if things do not change,” said Mattera.
South Africa’s constitution is celebrated globally for its visionary Bill of Rights. It’s among a handful of countries which integrates economic, social and cultural rights alongside traditional civil and political rights as legally enforceable rights. Citizens are guaranteed the rights to vote, freedom of expression and a fair trial. They can also approach the courts when they believe that the government has failed to take reasonable steps to fulfill their rights to housing, healthcare, food, water and social security. In this way, the constitution recognizes that all human rights are interrelated.
Mattera was recently awarded the inaugural Mazisi Kunene Poetry Award at the Poetry Africa International Festival.
