Pretoria – South Africa will commemorate Human Rights Day on 21 March 2017, in Ginsberg, King William’s Town, in the Eastern Cape.
Themed “The Year of OR Tambo: Unity in Action in Advancing Human Rights”, the day will be used to raise awareness and promote respect for basic human rights.
On the day, President Jacob Zuma will officially handover the memorial grave site of Steve Bantu Biko to the Biko family.
This is part of celebrating and promoting unity in line with the vision of OR Tambo.
Human Rights Day is a reminder to South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa.
On this day in 1960, the community of Sharpeville and Langa townships, like their fellow compatriots across the country, embarked on a march to protest against pass laws.
The apartheid police shot and killed 69 of the protesters, many of them shot while fleeing.
The commemoration provides the country with an opportunity to reflect on progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights.
National Water Month
Also during this month, South Africa will be commemorating the National Water Month under the theme “Human Rights for Water and Sanitation”.
All South Africans are reminded to conserve water to ensure sustainability of future supply.
At its meeting, Cabinet was briefed on the proposal by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to host the World Water Day in South Africa on 22 March 2017 under the theme “Waste Water the untapped resource”.
President Jacob Zuma, who is a member of the United Nations High Level Panel on Water Action Plan, will open the event by launching the World Water Development Report 2017 on waste water and related activities.
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2017, the theme will be “Wastewater” and in 2018 “Nature-based Solutions for Water”. – SAnews.gov.za
