Unite to fight prejudice
Don’t let insults undermine our progress towards achieving equality and freedom
SINCE the start of democracy, South Africa has made strong inroads towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.
We have forged our society on our shared values and the determination to fight injustice.
Today we live in a country completely different from the one we inherited. Yet, despite our positive advances, the legacy of our divided past – in the form of racism, intolerance and discrimination – continues to undermine our nation.
Names like Penny Sparrow, Vicki Momberg, Velaphi Khumalo, André Slade and Adam Catzavelos are wellknown. And certain politicians don’t fare much better, with leaders such as Julius Malema and Andile Mngxitama having their comments referred to the Equality Court.
The SA Human Rights Commission annually reports on trends in human rights violations.
They tell us that with regard to the types of equality complaints received in 2017/18, unfair discrimination on the grounds of race, disability and ethnic/social origin were the top three.
Of the 705 equality complaints the commission received, an overwhelming number were about race.
We have also seen xenophobic violence in the recent past, as well as violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community.
The government developed a national action plan (NAP) to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
It is an important tool to prevent and combat racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and other discriminatory conduct and forms of prejudice we have been experiencing recently.
The Cabinet’s approval of the NAP followed a rigorous process which included various stakeholders including government departments, Chapter 9 institutions, broader civil society organisations and other relevant role players.
Public input was important in shaping the NAP as a draft was published for comment in December 2015 with the public consultations phase launched in 2016.
Further engagements and feedback sessions were conducted last year.
The approved NAP, which will be deposited at the UN and revised every five years, includes a targeted set of measures, clear monitoring and evaluation arrangements and a reporting framework.
It sets out, in clear and practical ways, what government, civil society, the media, academia, business, labour and sport and religious bodies have to do to combat and prevent discrimination and prejudice.
The plan will ensure that the concerns of individuals and groups that encounter racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance are more effectively addressed.
It provides mechanisms for documenting and monitoring such incidents and ways to strengthen our efforts to combat it, such as identifying legislation that needs to be amended or adopted to protect victims.
It envisages awareness campaigns that encourage and inform the public to report incidents of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to the relevant authorities.
It also will establish a rapid response mechanism to collate reported incidents of racism and other crimes of prejudice, the number of cases prosecuted, as well as the reasons for non-prosecution and the outcome of such cases prosecuted by the National Prosecuting Authority.
The NAP acknowledges poverty, unemployment and inequality entrench racial disparities and we will not be able to rid society of racism unless we manage to address the racial nature of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The government will use the NAP to raise awareness of anti-racism, equality and anti-discrimination issues among officials, civil society and the public. It gives effect to the prescripts of the Constitution, which enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
Let us join the conversation in our places of worship, in our schools, our communities and among our friends to create the building blocks of social cohesion and common understanding.
Our Bill of Rights seeks to create a society in which freedom reigns and the rights of individuals are protected.
These rights were fought for by many brave South Africans who sacrificed everything so that we could enjoy them today. In our commemoration of Human Rights Month, we pay tribute to those who put their lives in danger for the sake of freedom and human rights for all.
Their sacrifices are a reminder that South Africans need to be united on all fronts if we are to foster greater social cohesion, address the scourge of racism and strive for inclusive nation-building.
The united society we seek is within our grasp; it starts with living our Constitution and working towards eradicating divisions and injustices, and together creating a more inclusive society and economy.