Our constitutional democracy guarantees the right to human dignity, the right to life, and the right to freedom and security of the person. Our Constitution does not accept a society in which people are persecuted because of nationality, race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other ground.
Therefore, our government has a constitutional duty to ensure that the rights of every person in South Africa are protected and realised – regardless of their nationality. What we desperately need in South Africa is a renewed sense of tolerance, mutual respect, and devotion to our constitutional values. Such a frame of mind cannot be policed, but must be promoted by everyone – from the President and political leaders, to the people of South Africa.
Issued by the FW de Klerk Foundation and the Centre for Constitutional Rights
Photo credit: futureatlas.com / Foter / CC BY
