Dorah Kgathi is currently studying law and reflects on the meaning of the day and what it means for her. Here is what she had to say:
For me, it means protection because I believe human rights were made to protect. The number one word that comes to my mind is protection.
The initial reason human rights were promulgated in our Constitution was because the gruesome infringements during apartheid meant there were none.
But at least human dignity and the essence of a human being were captured in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
I think protection because it’s there in law.
I know it is just there on paper for some but at least it means everyone, everywhere is important unlike before.
But we have to work hard to enforce it. That is why we come here and speak about freedom. We speak loudly and make sure we are heard. Using our voices might not be that effective in the beginning but as you learn and more people join you then at some point those in power will have to listen to us.
One day my generation will be running the country so we need to make sure we are educated and knowledgeable about rights and responsibilities within a democracy.
Because you listen to people speaking around you and they’re speaking about human rights. They speak about our current society; they speak about the state of the country, and we need to hear each other.
As for the election, people need to realise that it is not just about voting for a political party or a person, we are putting somebody in a position to give effect to the human rights we should all care about.
Related article: Human rights must always be protected
