On March 21 most citizens of this country will enjoy a day off.
Many will not even know why they have been afforded such a luxury (let us hope the lights stay on), while others won’t frankly care.
It is Human Rights Day. A time where all South Africans are supposed to reflect on certain rights that everyone should enjoy because they are human (even though some behave otherwise).
For history sake, in 1948 the United Nations defined 30 articles of human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It established universal human rights on the basis of humanity, freedom, justice, and peace.
South Africa has included indivisible human rights in its own Bill of Rights.
Human Rights Day itself is historically linked with March 21, 1960, and the events of Sharpeville. On that day 69 people died and 180 were wounded when police fired on a peaceful crowd that had gathered in protest against the Pass laws.
In terms of the Bill of Rights, everyone has a right to life, equality and human dignity.
Lo and behold, Parliament still maintains the Bill of Rights preserved in the Constitution is the cornerstone of SA’s constitutional and representative democracy. Yes, read that again and do not choke on your coffee.
Funny enough, we also have a right to citizenship and security.
Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction, just as those holding on the dream that South Africa will actually win the Rugby or the Cricket World Cup this year.
After all, the rights we enjoy is a mere illusion. Similar to the illusion created by government that we live in a land of democracy, while the reality is that we have been led astray into the abyss of Machiavellian treachery.
Maybe a new Bill of Rights should be drawn up.
After all, it seems politicians and business people have plenty of rights to collude to commit fraud and plunder the coffins at whim without much fear of being held accountable or being prosecuted.
By the way, what has happened to the VBS bank scandal? Nothing of course because it is not the right of ordinary citizens anymore to see justice being done.
Sadly, it seems criminals have the right to keep on looting, stealing, murdering, raping and hold the country in the grip of terror.
It seems managers have the right to continue running State Owned Enterprises with great incompetency, leaving us to beg and fight over the scraps. Instead of criminal charges, the guilty party simply walks away with a golden handshake.
It seems municipalities enjoy the right to continue with poor service delivery, not really wondering or caring if motorists are eaten alive by monstrous potholes, or if they are swept away by rainwater due to the stormwater drainage not working or if the trash piles up.
It seems taxi drivers have the right to operate their vehicle in such a disastrous manner without any regard for the safety of all other breathing persons or animals on the side of the road.
It seems the middle class has no right to survive or thrive – for it is the middle class that continues to carry the burdens of corrupt SOEs (yes we are paying for Eskom’s annual R23-billion bailout) and of 17 million people living on social grants.
And yes, we are supposed to enjoy the right to property, which is a joke considering the expropriation of land without compensation.
And yes, people, it seems certain people still enjoy the right to continue with hate speech yet never are held responsible fort their vile actions.
We are thus supposed to believe we enjoy rights to peace, security, dignity and life. We might as well start believing in multi-coloured unicorns and fairies in the garden.
After all, those who plunder, and those who have destroyed this nation have done so for own good, for self gain and benefit, and there has never been a regard for the rest of the humans.
Despite such Shakespearean tragedy, on March 21 I will exert my right to enjoy a day of rest as a human, holding onto the illusion of my rights while I watch the unicorns and fairies fight for their place under the African sun.
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