Ramaphosa says failure to provide South Africans with services infringes human rights

President Cyril Ramaphosa, while delivering his Human Rights Day speech in De Aar, Northern Cape, on Tuesday, said if government does not provide basic services to its people, it is a “human rights issue”.

He said his administration is trying to improve the functioning of local government to address the service delivery challenges in South Africa.

“We are working to improve the functioning of local government, which carries the greatest responsibility for the provision of these services,” he said at De Aar Stadium.

Ramaphosa claimed government is making progress by providing services such as water infrastructure projects, social grants, education and free healthcare.

“According to Statistics South Africa, access to water and sanitation, electricity, housing and other services like waste removal has increased steadily over the last three decades,” he said.

‘Need to do much more’

The president, however, admitted that more needs to be done.

“There can be no doubt that we have achieved much in securing the rights of all South Africans. But we know from daily experience that we need to do much more.”

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He said that South Africa cannot claim to respect human rights if it doesn’t ensure that “all South Africans have access to land, housing, food, water, health care and education”.

“We cannot claim to respect human rights if we do not do everything we can to ensure all people have access to work and economic opportunity, and to live lives that are comfortable, safe and secure,” he added.

Social grants

Ramaphosa said that one of the ways South Africa is fighting against poverty is by providing social grants.

He used the R350 SRD grant, introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, as an example.

“While this grant has been extended to the end of March 2024, work is underway to provide basic income support for the most vulnerable within the country’s fiscal constraints.”

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Education

Ramaphosa also said his government is trying to improve education in the country by prioritising early childhood development (ECD).

“The Department of Basic Education, which is now responsible for ECD, is streamlining the requirements for ECD centres to access support and enable thousands more to receive subsidies from government.”

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He, however, admitted that the country’s school dropout rate was too high and said education authorities, teachers and parents need to solve together.

Health care

Ramaphosa said poor South Africans are being denied their right to access to quality health care.

He said the National Health Insurance Bill will “correct this”.

“The introduction of the National Health Insurance – or NHI – will enable every South African to receive quality health care regardless of their ability to pay.”