The Commission would like to use this occasion to remind everyone in South Africa that the freedoms we enjoy today, such as freedom of security of the person, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, belief, and opinion, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and association, came through blood, sweat, and tears. The apartheid state arrested, displaced, banned, tortured, and killed human rights defenders who demanded fundamental rights and basic freedoms. Therefore, freedom must not be remembered only as a historic victory but practiced daily as a living obligation to uphold dignity, equality, and justice for all.
The Commission takes this occasion to remind everyone that freedom comes with responsibilities. These responsibilities include exercising the right to freedom of expression without propagating hate speech, inciting violence, or spreading disinformation; engaging in peaceful protest without destroying property or encroaching on others' rights; and non-nationals' responsibilities to ensure they are properly documented and to respect the country’s laws and policies. To this end, the Commission has launched a Rights and Responsibilities campaign. Launched this Freedom month, and targeted at learners, the Campaign aims to address learner misconduct, including bullying and other forms of violence, misuse of social media, smoking of cigarettes, vapes and other drugs, vandalism of school property and disrespect of school staff, service providers and the broader community. The campaign seeks to contribute towards the growth of responsible, mature and active citizens.
As the country gears up for the 2026 Local Government Elections, the Commission would like to remind all to jealously guard and defend democracy and to strongly reject anti-human-rights discourse and campaigns. The Commission cautions against disinformation and misinformation campaigns that advance anti-human-rights agendas and erode the democratic values of equality and dignity for all.
The Commission has further noted, with concern, that voter turnout in elections has declined over the years. Statistics show that voter turnout in the national elections was 86.87% in 1994; however, in the 2024 elections, it had dropped to 58.64%. The youth are not participating in elections. Statistics further indicate that in the 2024 elections, South Africa’s youth comprised 42% of the voters’ roll, yet among the 27.67 million registered voters, youth aged thirty and under accounted for only 17.7%. As such, the Commission calls for greater participation in the upcoming elections.
The Commission has engaged with the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure that the key concerns it registered during the 2024 elections, such as lack of accessibility for people with disabilities, privacy in voting booths, and connectivity issues requiring officials to alternate between online and manual systems, are adequately addressed before the upcoming Local Government Elections.
Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires active, informed, and courageous participation from all who benefit from its protections. Voting and engaging with institutions created to support Constitutional Democracy are powerful avenues available to citizens to ensure that the enjoyment of freedom is not a slogan but a reality for all, including the poor, who continue to face the socio-economic challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
ENDS
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION