‘People tend to misinterpret rights,’ says analyst as Sharpeville victims remembered

As South Africa marked another commemoration of Human Rights Day on Monday, there were mixed emotions from citizens and political parties on whether this day truly resonated with people the same way it did years ago.

Political analyst Levy Ndou said government had done its best in placing emphasis that people have rights and should enjoy them, but people should remember the major challenges relating to their own rights.

“People tend to misinterpret rights and, in the process, forget their responsibility which creates a situation where rights become meaningless.”

Ndou said rights should always be accompanied by responsibilities.

“When you are exercising rights as an individual, you should not infringe on other people’s rights by neglecting your responsibilities,” he said.

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ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the ruling party had failed to put the interests of South Africans first and the citizens would remain “traumatised people”.

According to Mashaba, South Africans were at the back end of what was rightfully theirs.

“The ANC has overseen state capture, where billions of our limited resources were looted. Dare I say, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has not stemmed the tide,” he said.

“We never expected him to do so, anyway, because he was there when it was happening and he remains right there today.”

While Ramaphosa in his keynote address for Human Rights Day said acts of racism have no place in society, an activist from the LGBTIQ+ community, Siyabonga Dlangalala, said while reflecting on the injustices of the past, it was also important to check on progress because it served as a “wake-up call” for the country.

Dlangalala said he was proud that SA was one of the first countries in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But he still felt as though everything “looked amazing on paper” but there was a lot to be done on the ground.

READ MORE: ‘We reject Human Rights Day’: Malema accuses govt of ‘erasing’ Sharpeville history

Vosloorus resident Lindiwe Mkhize said the day brought “heavy” mixed feelings as it was a reminder that there was still a lot needed to be done in order for women to enjoy the fruits of human rights.

“As country, we can thrive on the plenty achieved. However, proper basic needs, especially for black women, are yet to be achieved,” he said.

The commemoration marked 62 years since 69 people were killed in what would become known as the Sharpeville massacre, where police opened fire on people protesting against pass laws.

Sipho Lukele from Johannesburg said despite the nation remembering the Sharpeville victims, an element of scepticism still prevailed with the current democracy as corruption was rampant and human rights were not properly acknowledged.