Nkoana-Mashabane on the Debate on Human Rights Day, Limpopo Legislature
21 March 2007
Honourable Speaker
Madam Deputy Speaker
Members of the Limpopo Legislature
Citizens of Limpopo
On the 21 March 1960, hundreds of people marched to Sharpeville Police
Station to protest against the apartheid policies in general and the Pass laws
in particular. Approximately 69 unarmed civilians were massacred by the
Apartheid regime for demanding their basic human rights.
Our road to freedom was characterised by fundamental abuse of Human Rights
by the apartheid Regime and the dawn of democratic dispensation ushered in a
new era of human rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa entrenches the Bill of
Rights which is a cornerstone of our democracy. It enshrines the rights of all
people in our country and affirms the right to human dignity, equality and
freedom.
Honourable Speaker,
The Constitutional mandate of the Department for Local Government and
Housing is the provision of adequate housing to everyone and sections 25 and 10
provide that everyone has an inherent right to dignity and to have their
dignity respected and protected. I want to reiterate that this mandate is in
line with the Freedom Charter "there shall be housing, security and
comfort".
In realisation of the right to dignity, our department and stakeholders will
continue to intensify the provision of basic services such as water,
sanitation, housing and electricity to our people in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG).
The department has to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities
to manage their own affairs, exercise their powers and to perform their
functions in line with their mandates.
One of our responsibilities in this regard is to assist municipalities to
address the legacy of separate development of communities through integrated
development planning. In realisation of these objectives the department has
embarked on a process of implementing the Breaking of New Grounds as part of
Integrated Sustainable Human Settlement Program in major towns in Limpopo to
build affordable houses and social amenities in strategically located land
nearer to areas of economic activities for our people. The achievement of this
objective will contribute significantly in building a non-racial, non-sexist
and democratic society.
We call on all our people across the length and breadth of our country and
Limpopo in particular to commemorate and celebrate Human Rights Day, which is
of historical significance, with honour and dignity.
I thank you
Issued by: Department for Local Government and Housing, Limpopo Provincial
Government
21 March 2007
Source: Limpopo Provincial Government: (http://www.limpopo-dlgh.gov.za)
