The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has once again raised the alarm over the deteriorating state of basic service delivery across the country, calling it a profound violation of citizens’ rights as the nation observes International Human Rights Day.
The commission says the state’s failure to ensure access to essential services such as water, sanitation, healthcare and education continues to erode the dignity of millions.
Human rights lawyer Mametlwe Sebei echoed this concern, noting that South Africa is grappling with some of its most severe rights challenges since the dawn of democracy.
“Human rights are about access to housing, food, water the fundamental pursuits at the heart of our struggle against apartheid and our ongoing fights for service delivery, workplace justice, fair labour standards and decent living conditions,” Sebei said. “The past 30 years have been nothing short of a catastrophic failure to realise even the most modest of these basic rights.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that the world is in “a state of profound distress,” issuing its message as countries mark Human Rights Day. This year’s theme Our Everyday Essentials highlights how human rights shape daily life, even amid global violations, including alleged genocide and crimes against humanity.
UNHCR representative in South Africa, Abigail Noko, stressed the importance of the occasion, noting that the day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
“The theme ‘Human Rights Are Everyday Essentials’ reminds us that rights are not abstract concepts. They shape what we live for and live by each day,” Noko said.