Media release: Premier Winde calls on residents to reflect on and commit to the democratic values that we all hold dear this Human Rights Day.
This Human Rights Day, I encourage our residents in the Western Cape to use this moment to reflect on and commit to the democratic values that we all hold dear.
This day requires us to remember our painful past, and those who fought for freedom, but also to look to the future so that our children and the generations that follow us have a long, prosperous and happy life.
As I reflect on this important day, I think of the freedoms that so many of our people are denied because they do not have a job. I think of poverty, gang violence, and GBV, and how it undermines the most fundamental rights our residents were born with.
I also think about what is happening in Ukraine, as hundreds of civilians die, and the democratic rights of those who criticize the illegal invasion are attacked. It is a stark reminder of just how precious our freedom is, and how it must always be defended.
The Western Cape Government is committed to using all the resources at its disposal to ensure that the rights of our residents are protected and realised, from the moment a person is born, throughout their life, and into their old age. We do this through our focus on our three north star priorities of jobs, safety, and wellbeing.
As I announced during my State of the Province Address last month, we aim to promote these north star priorities by fighting the second pandemic of joblessness. This requires standing up to the continued extension of the National State of Disaster, which impedes the rights of our residents. It also means investing in infrastructure, improving skills, and cutting red tape, so that we can help the private sector create the jobs our people need.
It also means preventing violence in our communities, by rolling out our LEAP enforcement programme in crime hotspots, and investing in a new Violence Prevention Unit, which will use data to design and implement interventions that prevent violence from taking place.
Finally, it means ensuring that our children have a quality education with the resources they need to succeed and that we catch up on the backlog in our well-run healthcare system. It also means that we care for the most vulnerable in our society, and focus on homelessness and mental health. That is why we are investing more resources in our frontline departments of Education, Health and Social Development over the Medium Term.
While we know that still have a lot more work to do to become a South Africa that allows each resident to fully enjoy their human rights, let us today take stock today of what we’ve achieved so far and reflect on what more we can do going forward. We must never stop pushing forward in the pursuit of a society where all enjoy their inalienable human rights