EKURHULENI EXECUTIVE MAYOR JOINS THE COUNTRY IN MARKING HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Today we mark the death to 69 people at a march against pass laws in 1960 at Sharpville where almost 200 were injured during that peaceful protest which turned fatal.

The City of Ekurhuleni joins the nation in remembering those lives lost and the cause they stood for, basic human rights for freedom of movement and equality. The theme for this year’s commemoration of Human Rights Day is ‘Three Decades of Respect for And Promotion of Human Rights’. The dawn of democracy in 1994 brought along the realisation of equal human rights for all in the country which was once operated under oppressive apartheid government.

Today we are reminded of how costly it was to attain those human rights and the importance of upholding each of them. ‘Many people paid with their lives for us to get to this point of having human rights. We must celebrate them daily while we continue to honour those who were selfless when it came to securing our free tomorrow. On this day we must reflect as individuals on how we are upholding human rights not only for oneself but for those around us as well. We owe it to those who laid down their lives to take care of this responsibility bestowed on us’, Executive Mayor Alderman Sivuyile Ngodwana makes a clarion call to residents of Ekurhuleni.

Happy responsible Human Rights Day to everyone.

Issued by the Office of the Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni