On Tuesday, South Africans commemorated Human Rights Day. President Cyril Ramaphosa used his keynote to criticise the EFF’s shutdown attempt on Monday.
Ramaphosa accused EFF in his address to the nation delivered from De Aar in the Northern Cape of attempting to “diminish this democracy” and wanting to “abuse the rights of others, intimidate them, compel them to participate in a protest, compel them to participate on days when they should not go to work.
“I am happy that the majority of South Africans did not heed the call, but they exercised their rights as South Africans,” he added.
He also emphasised that if a country cannot guarantee that all its residents have access to basic essentials like land, shelter, food, water, healthcare, and education, it cannot claim to protect human rights.
The event is held every year in remembrance of the Sharpeville Massacre, which took place on 21 March 1960.
Police opened fire on a crowd of over 7,000 people during the protest against Pass Laws, which required black South Africans to carry identification documents at all times and resulted in the deaths of 69 people.
The day is also a remembrance of the Langa Massacre, which took place on March 21, 1985, when state police killed 35 people while honouring the 25th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre.
Human Rights Day gives South Africans a chance to consider the steps taken to uphold human rights and the work that still needs to be done to guarantee that each person’s rights are protected.
