FREE TO READ | Human rights will not be delivered on silver platter

SA is undoubtedly serious when it comes to protecting human rights. After all, it is the only country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage and has a progressive constitution protecting the rights of all who live in it. While all this is true, we realise that implementing what is on paper has sometimes been challenging. 

In this Human Rights Day edition, experts and industry leaders weigh in on what is going right and what needs to change. Bury yourself in this issue and discover the barriers that still exist for people with disabilities, how people continue to go hungry in a land of plenty and some shocking statistics from The First SA National Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study, 2022.

This publication identifies the challenges and also focuses on the solutions. Lance Joel, chief operations officer at the SA Local Government Association, explains why service delivery is not just about infrastructure, but also about dignity, equality and the fulfilment of human rights. 

Peter Mehlape, chair of the SA Medical Technology Industry Association, former Medtronic MD, host of the Off The Clock podcast and a Gibbs Fellow, argues that to achieve universal healthcare, we must refine policy frameworks, embrace technology and adopt innovative solutions. 

It is clear that, as a country, we can never afford to sit on our laurels, expecting those in power to deliver our human rights on a silver platter. Instead, all of us who live in SA need to realise that to enjoy our rights, we must remember our responsibilities. If we work together as government, private and civil sectors, our chances of progressively closing the gap between what we aspire for and our lived reality increases. 

Busani Moyo, editor