REMARKS BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON THE OCCASION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2021
21 March 2021
Fellow South Africans,
We are commemorating Human Rights Day almost exactly a year since the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national disaster in our country and we prepared for a nationwide lockdown to contain its spread.
Over the course of the past year, our nation, like many others across the world, has endured great hardships.
We have lost mothers, fathers, siblings, colleagues and friends to this deadly disease. It has taken a heavy toll on our economy and on our people’s livelihoods.
It has affected every aspect of our lives as South Africans.
We have had to give up basic human interactions that we once took for granted, like greeting each other with a handshake or a warm hug.
We have had to sacrifice things that are important to us, like meeting and socialising, travelling freely, attending funerals of our loved ones and being at cultural gatherings and attending religious services.
But throughout, there has been an understanding that these restrictions were, and remain, necessary for the health and safety of us all.
It has almost become difficult to remember how life was in our country just a year ago.
It was a life without masks, a life without social distancing and without restrictions on our daily lives.
And yet over the passage of time, we have shown our resilience as a people.
We have shown our determination to defeat a pandemic that is still very much with us.
We have done so with great courage and resolve.
Our unity as a nation has been our greatest strength.
This unity is born of an understanding that the pandemic is a threat to us all.
The virus has struck down rich and poor, young and old, male and female, black and white, city dweller and those who live in our rural areas.
Sixty-one years ago our brave forebears took up the defence of the rights of our people, in the face of a harsh, cruel and unjust system that was exploitive and oppressive.
The heroes who protested at Sharpeville on the 21st of March 1960 took up the cause of liberty, freedom and human rights.
They did so not for themselves alone, but for us all. That's why they're our heroes and heroines.
In the same way, the struggles we wage today are not for our cause alone.
They are also for the men, women and children of tomorrow, so that they too may live in security, comfort, peace and freedom.
In reflecting on the events at Sharpeville, we appreciate how far we have come from being a society that cares only for a few at the expense of the majority.
Over the past year, government, working in partnership with social partners and civil society, has given effect to the principle that human rights are not negotiable.
We have strived to meet our many obligations under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that is the cornerstone of our democracy.
Through the provision of care to the sick and social support to the vulnerable, we have worked together to give effect to the most important rights of our people – the right to life, to health and to dignity.
The protestors at Sharpeville wanted to see an end to the pass system that deprived them of their basic human right to work, to earn a living and to provide for their families.
It was a struggle for social and economic rights.
In recognition of the severe impact of the pandemic on people’s livelihoods, we have implemented social and income support measures to support struggling households, workers and businesses.
And in this, the next phase of our response to the pandemic, we are working to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to every person in our country.
We have been able to weather the coronavirus storm in large part because of the strong culture of human rights in our country.
Human rights that were hard-won by the heroes and heroines of Sharpeville and the countless heroes and heroines of our struggle for liberation broadly.
They were firm in their conviction that freedom for some is freedom for none; and that nobody must be left behind.
It was at Sharpeville that President Nelson Mandela signed our democratic Constitution into law 25 years ago.
The Constitution is a shade and a shelter for all.
As we said at the time, the constitution is one law for one nation.
It commits not just government but every one of us to the values that were disregarded in the past – of human rights, of fair and decent treatment, of tolerance of difference, and of appreciation of our common basic humanity.
We are now in the phase of reconstruction and recovery.
We are working to build a new economy that promises equal opportunity for all.
In doing so, let us remember that this is a struggle for all of us far greater than ourselves.
It is not a fight not for our own piece of bread, for our own job to be saved, or for our own health and safety.
It is a fight to preserve our common humanity.
And it means that we must all work together, whether as government, labour, business or communities.
We must rebuild a society that is far better than the one that came before it.
We must become a society that is free from poverty, hunger and deprivation.
We must become a society where women and children are free from violence, and where their rights are protected.
We must become a society where young people are able to realise their full potential – where they are not doomed to lives of despair and poverty because they cannot afford an education or because there are no jobs for them.
We must be a society of equal opportunity for all, regardless of one’s race, sex, sexual orientation or whether one is able bodied or a person with disabilities.
We must be a society where quality health care, education and basic services are provided to our people regardless of whether they live in a village in a town or a city.
We must be a society where the land is owned not by a few, but where all have access to land for development, for progress and for self-upliftment.
Above all, we must be a society that recognises the dignity of every individual, and the role of every man, woman and child in building a better future.
This is the promise of our Constitution.
And as we work to rebuild our economy and our society, we must strive to make this promise a reality in the lives of our people.
Advancing human rights is the responsibility of us all.
Though we may have our differences on a number of issues, we have far more in common.
We share a common goal: to defeat the pandemic.
We have a common vision: of a better, more inclusive society.
Above all, we have a common cause: that of a South Africa of equality, prosperity, freedom and human rights for all.
To all South Africans, to all those who call this great beautiful country their home, I wish you a healthy, happy and peaceful Human Rights Day.
I thank you.
President Cyril RAMAPHOSA
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 22 March 2021
Dear Fellow South African,
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 08 March 2021
Today is International Women’s Day. For more than a century, this day has been celebrated across the world as part of the struggle to realise women’s rights in the social, political, legal, reproductive, health and other spheres.
The Women’s Charter, which was drawn up in 1994, notes that at the heart of women’s marginalisation in South Africa are the attitudes and practices that “confine women to the domestic arena, and reserve for men the arena where political power and authority reside”.
There can be no meaningful progress for women if our society continues to relegate women to ‘traditional’ professions, occupations or roles, while it is mainly men who sit on decision-making structures.
Fittingly, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is women’s leadership and achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.
Since the coronavirus pandemic reached South Africa a year ago, the women of South Africa have played a pivotal role in the country’s response.
We salute the resilience and bravery of women frontline workers, who worked to fight the pandemic as nurses, doctors, emergency personnel, police and soldiers.
These include the tragic stories of women like Nurse Petronella Benjamin from Eerste River in the Western Cape, who lost her life to COVID-19 just days before she was due to retire after 25 years as a nurse.
Our efforts to contain the pandemic have been greatly boosted by the thousands of fieldworkers like Azalet Dube from Doctors without Borders, who went into communities to raise awareness about the disease, who worked in health facilities as contract tracers, and who provided psycho-social support to families and individuals in distress.
The dedication of the nation’s educators has ensured that our young people were able to receive an education despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many women who have worked as teachers, principals, lecturers and as administrators at institutions of higher learning.
We thank the women leading civil society organisations who worked and continue to work with the Ministerial Advisory Committee in driving a holistic approach to managing the pandemic.
We salute women like Nandi Msezane, who helped raise funds for food support in affected communities, and helped to provide access to mental health support for the LGBTQI+ community during the lockdown.
Vulnerable women and children affected by violence during the lockdown were helped thanks to the efforts of numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by and staffed by women.
This includes women like Fazila Gany, a longstanding member of the National Shelter Movement who also sadly passed away from COVID-19. The Movement has been critical in ensuring women and children at risk received support and access to services during the pandemic.
Women doctors, researchers and scientists have played and continue to play an important role in our epidemiological response. One of the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials conducted last year, the Ensemble trial, was led by two female scientists, Prof Glenda Gray of the South African Medical Research Council and Prof Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre.
Research performed by academics on economic vulnerability and poverty trends in South Africa helped drive an informed relief response. Last year we lost one of the country’s foremost experts on rural poverty, Dr Vuyo Mahlati. At the time she was studying the impact of the pandemic on food security in vulnerable communities, especially small scale farmers.
In the private sector, women business leaders have been visible in mobilising financial resources to support government’s efforts.
The Solidarity Fund, which has played such a key role in this regard, is chaired by one of South Africa’s most prominent businesswomen, Gloria Serobe. Women CEOs, board members and fund managers continue to play a leading role in pushing for their companies to support government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
No such tribute on this day would be complete without recognising the role of the women of this administration, whose efforts often go unacknowledged. It is women who lead the many government departments at the forefront of the national relief response.
I wish all the women of South Africa well on this day.
Our experience of this pandemic has once more demonstrated women’s capacity to organise, collaborate, lead and achieve. Through their actions, they have demonstrated there is no such thing as ‘a woman’s place’.
The women of our country still face many challenges.
They are still under-represented in the boardrooms and corridors of power. They are still more likely to be poor and unemployed than their male counterparts. They are still vulnerable to gender-based violence and femicide.
But on this day, let us acknowledge how far we have come as a society thanks to the role of women leaders, particularly in helping the nation through this pandemic.
As we have struggled against this disease, women have been present and prominent in almost every arena of life.
This has set a standard for the kind of society we continue to build.
It has inspired and encouraged us to build an equal future.
With best regards,
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 15 March 2021
In the last few months, we have had to bid a sad farewell to two of our country’s most respected traditional monarchs.
This week, the Zulu people will lay to rest His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu who reigned for half a century. In January, the Bapedi people buried Kgoshikgolo Thulare Thulare III, who passed away less than a year after his inauguration.
With their passing, we have lost champions of the preservation of our heritage, and revered custodians of the histories of their respective peoples.
At the same time, they were vital players in rural development, and were committed to driving programmes to uplift the material conditions of their people.
With the advent of democracy in 1994, it was a priority of the new government to restore the integrity and legitimacy of traditional leadership in line with indigenous law and customs and subject to the Constitution of the Republic.
The institution of traditional leadership continues to play an important role in the lives of millions of people around our country, especially in rural areas. Traditional leaders support and drive development in their communities.
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the debate on the opening of the National House of Traditional Leaders, which was concerned with the most pressing issues currently facing the country.
What was particularly refreshing about the robust engagement was that traditional leadership has a keen appreciation of the difficult economic conditions facing our country, and want to be part of addressing the many challenges of underdevelopment and poverty in their areas.
I have consistently said that our economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic must be inclusive, and that nobody must be left behind.
The success of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan rests on forging strong partnerships between not just government, business and labour, but also with traditional leadership and other societal formations.
A constant refrain from participants in the debate last week was that they do not want to be dependent on handouts or for their communities to perpetually look to government for financial assistance.
They want to be provided with the necessary support, training and enabling environment to allow rural communities to be self-sufficient.
They want to bridge the urban-rural divide in access to government services and private sector resources.
What they would like to see is for rural areas to become centres of economic activity, industry and employment opportunity. This mirrors the aspirations of the District Development Model, which was launched in 2019.
Traditional leaders are well positioned to ensure that district plans are informed by and respond to the real needs of communities and that they reflect the lived reality in rural areas.
Just as the District Development Model supports localised programmes that focus on the needs, strengths and opportunities in specific areas, traditional leaders have pioneered their own approach to local economic development.
They have developed the InvestRural Masterplan, which was launched in North West last month. It is greatly encouraging that traditional leaders have rallied behind the plan and want to work with local authorities to ensure it is a success.
During the debate in the National House of Traditional Leaders it was proposed that a major success factor for the InvestRural programme is that traditional structures are trained, strengthened and capacitated.
A number of participants outlined economic plans that are already in advanced stages of development. These range from agricultural projects to bioprospecting to renewable energy.
What was evident is that the institution of traditional leadership understands that professionalisation is necessary for rural businesses in the form of SMMEs and cooperatives to become part of the mainstream economy.
The traditional leaders who spoke presented their vision of ‘developmental monarchs’, who see themselves as not just custodians of heritage but also as drivers of economic prosperity and progress. They have identified several projects and economic opportunities that will create jobs and improve livelihoods in rural areas.
Traditional leaders have also expressed their willingness to play an active part in the land reform process. Since 2018, traditional leaders have made around 1,500,000 hectares of communal land available for development, and it is hoped this will increase in future.
To develop a coordinated and sustainable strategy, we have agreed to hold a Presidential Land Summit in the next year. This will discuss pressing issues around land reform and its impact on communal land, much of which is located in rural areas.
The tone of the debate in the National House was a fitting reflection of a climate in which economic recovery is foremost among our considerations. At the same time it was a promising signal that traditional leaders appreciate their role in being part of the national recovery effort through being proactive and innovative.
The most fitting legacy of great leaders is that the seeds of development they sow during their tenure grow into mighty trees that protect and shelter their communities for posterity.
As we work together as a country to rebuild our economy, we will continue to count on the support of the institution of traditional leadership, which is an inextricable part of our past, our present and our future.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 01 March 2021
Dear Fellow South African,
When I was elected to the position of President of South Africa, I said that building an efficient, capable and ethical state free from corruption was among my foremost priorities.
Only a capable, efficient, ethical and development-oriented state can deliver on the commitment to improve the lives of the people of this country.
This means that the public service must be staffed by men and women who are professional, skilled, selfless and honest.
They must be committed to upholding the values of the Constitution, and must, as I said in my inaugural speech, “faithfully serve no other cause than that of the public”.
Over the past two weeks, public consultations have been underway on an important policy document that will give greater impetus to our efforts to bolster, strengthen and capacitate the civil service.
The draft National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service aims to build a state that better serves our people, that is insulated from undue political interference and where appointments are made on merit.
The framework was approved by Cabinet in November last year and structured consultation with various sectors of society are now underway.
Twenty-seven years into democracy, it can be said of the public service that while several pockets of excellence exist, we have serious challenges in many government departments with regards to skills, competence and professionalism.
All too often, people have been hired into and promoted to key positions for which they are neither suitable nor qualified. This affects government performance, but also contributes to nepotism, political interference in the work of departments, lack of accountability, mismanagement and corruption.
There is also the related problem of political and executive interference in the administration of the public service. One need only to look at the instability in government departments when senior managers are swopped or replaced each time a new Minister is appointed.
Directors-General and provincial heads of departments are particularly affected. In some departments, DGs, HoDs and executive managers have had stability of tenure, enabling the departments to function with little disruption. In most of these departments where there is leadership stability, audit outcomes tend to be positive and public funds can be accounted for. Where there is a high turnover of heads of department, there is often administrative turmoil.
One of the key recommendations made in the draft framework is that the public service must be depoliticised and that government departments must be insulated from politics.
Professionalisation is necessary for stability in the public service, especially in the senior ranks. Public servants must be able to continue doing their jobs “regardless of any changes of Ministers, Members of the Executive Council or Councillors within the governing party in charge of the administration, or changes to political parties after elections”.
We are proposing a number of far-reaching reforms, such as extending the tenure of Heads of Department based on merit and performance, doing occupation-based competency assessments and involving the Public Service Commission in the interviews of Directors-General and Deputy Directors-General.
Introducing integrity tests for all shortlisted individuals will help so that we can recruit civil servants who can serve honestly. We also need to extend the compulsory entrance exams that we introduced in April 2020 beyond senior management. Successful developmental states have similar measures which help advance professionalism within the public service.
As we note in the draft framework, “the bureaucracy must continue to loyally and diligently implement the political mandate set by voters and the party, but to refrain from being political actors themselves.”
We are suggesting a more rigorous approach towards recruitment and selection of public servants, induction and performance management. This includes continuous learning and a clear professional development path for every public servant.
The draft Framework puts emphasis on the need to hold public servants accountable for irregularities, to do away with a culture of impunity in the mismanagement and misappropriation of state resources.
Professionalising the public service involves training for accounting officers across all spheres of government on the applicable legislative provisions.
The National School of Government has a vital role to play in this regard.
Professionalism is not only about having the right qualifications and technical skills, but also about having appropriate standards of respect, courtesy and integrity in dealing with members of the public.
The public service is diverse, with a huge range of skills, qualifications and capabilities. Many public servants have specialised skills that are necessary for the effective provision of services. It is therefore not necessarily the case that we need a smaller public service: what we actually need is a fit-for-purpose public service with suitable skills, a professional ethic and a commitment to serving the people.
The men and women of the public service need to be capacitated to play their role in driving development and consolidating democracy. This is our best guarantee of a capable state that serves the interests of citizens.
I call on you to be part of the public consultation process around this draft framework, which is available on the National School of Government’s website, and to make your voice heard.
The public service does not belong to any one party, nor should it be the domain of any particular interest group. It should not be a law unto itself.
The public service belongs to the people of South Africa. It must serve them and them alone.
With best regards,
President Cyril RAMAPHOSA