Pretoria - Cabinet has called on South Africans to make constructive inputs to the draft National Action Plan to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Unveiled on Tuesday, the public can submit their comments before the 30 June 2016 deadline for the final document that will be submitted to Cabinet for approval.
Comments and inputs can be submitted via email to nap@justice.gov.za.
It is envisaged that the NAP will form the basis for the development of a comprehensive policy framework to fight racism.
“The plan provides the basis for a public policy against racial discrimination that will assist in giving effect to our international human rights obligations,” Cabinet said in a statement on Thursday.
It is also envisaged that the NAP will provide for specific outcomes and a technical guiding framework for government’s policies, programmes and strategies to combat racial discrimination, and is a step towards complying with the obligation to give effect to the constitutional value of equality and non-discrimination.
Government has dedicated the month of March to Human Rights Month.
The month is been commemorated under the theme: “South Africa united against racism” and will reinforce government’s commitment to the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
The Department of Arts and Culture, as the lead department, has put in place a month-long programme which includes a series of dialogues on working together to build a non-racial, non-sexist, equal and democratic society.
The main commemoration of the month will be on Human Rights Day , a national day that is commemorated annually on 21 March to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa.
The commemoration provides the country with an opportunity to reflect on progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights. - SAnews.gov.za
