Deputy Minister Seiso Joel Mohai: 2025 Free State Human Rights Day Commemoration

Programme Directors;
Premier of the Free State Province, Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Matha and Members of the Executive Council;
The Chief-Whip, Councillor. Phuthi Tlahadi;
MEC of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Ms Ntombizanele Sifuba;
MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Mr Jabu Ntsokolo Mbalula;
South African Human Rights Commission Provincial Manager, Ms Thonoko Modise;
Commissioner for Gender Equality, Kamohelo Teele;
Free State Provincial Men's Sector, Mr Archie Phinithi
Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament;
MECs and Members of Provincial Legislature
Mayors and Councillors;
Our Esteemed Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders;
Leaders of Political Parties;
Leaders of civil society formations;
Honoured Guests; ​

Good afternoon! Dumelang!

What a privilege and joy to be alive during this eventful era in the global and domestic geopolitical spaces.

This year we are celebrating 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown, in 1954.

The Freedom Charter is a sequel to the African's Claims in South Africa that was adopted by the Annual Conference of the African National Congress on 16 December in 1943.

Both documents, in keeping with the ANC tradition of human rights, informs the form and content of our Bill of Rights.

Yesterday our compatriots in Namibia inaugurated Mme Netumbo-Nandi-Ndaitwah as the first woman President since independence more than three decades ago.

On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected Kirsty Coventry as the first woman and the first African to hold this position.

Last night at Peter Mokaba's Stadium, Bafana-Bafana bit our neighbours Lesotho 2 – 0 in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

We are hedged by many problems, but we have every reason to celebrate these positive stories coming out of our country and continent.

These events are taking place as our country commemorated Human Rights Day, on 21 March. These events take place against the backdrop of the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre, in which apartheid police killed 69 peaceful protesters, protesting against apartheid-era laws, as well as honouring the struggle for freedom and democracy.

The Deputy President, Paul Mashatile led the official national commemoration service in KwaLanga in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, in the Eastern Cape Province. This is the area that was formerly known as Uitenhage, and now Kariega. This is where another massacre took place in what became known as the Langa Massacre that occurred on 21 March 1985, resulting in the indiscriminate killing of 20 people who were fighting for justice against the oppressive regime.

Our collective history is littered with many massacres, assassinations, brutal killings, imprisonment, detention without trial and other violent gross human rights violations.

The celebrations and commemorations should inspire us to renew our commitment to human solidarity.

They should as they do, galvanise us to redouble our collective efforts as we join hands with other people in other parts of the world who are fighting for self-determination.

We must remember that the peace-loving people of Palestine and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are looking up to us not to only to highlight their plight, but to act in defence of their freedoms and rights to self-determination.

Coming back home this year's theme as we commemorate Human Rights Day is "Deepening a Culture of Social Justice and Human Rights,".

We acknowledge that there is remarkable progress made since 1994. Progress that has brought us closer to the realisation of the aspirations expressed in the Freedom Charter.

However, it will be wrong and dishonest of us to turn a blind eye to the high unemployment rate in Winburg and surrounding towns. We cannot rest until we have addressed the 31.9% national unemployment rate.

We know of the economy and exploitative system that has relegated the majority of young people and middle-aged men and women to farm labour.

We know of the misery and poverty visited upon our people by the demise of the mines in our Province.

As all spheres of government, civil society and private sector, we should ensure, Operation Vul'umgodi creates down-stream business opportunities and jobs.

We have to ensure that citizens have access to development funding so that they are empowered to run their own co-operatives.

The President's Employment Initiative should be made accessible to all needy citizens.

The level and status of TVET Colleges should be elevated such that they become a career of first choice for the youth.

We know of the endemic Gender-Based Violence and Famine in our families and households. The urgent Task is ramping up and expanding access to Thuthuzela Care Centres to ensure that survivors receive both support and justice.

As the Deputy President pointed out in his speech on the 21 March 2025 “We cannot achieve social justice without actively including and uplifting those who have historically been marginalised in our society. This imperative is pertinent when we consider the dimensions of poverty and inequality, notably the experiences of women in South Africa".

As we have entered into Government of National Unity (GNU) and the Seventh administration of government, we started to plan ahead through the MTDP 2024-2029. The MTDP provides direction and guidance to all-of-government.

It is encumbered upon us administrators and leaders to ensure the centring of the District Development Plan (DDM) in the MTDP in the context of One Country! One Plan.

The MTDP has to be socialised among the citizenry. It must be people-centric and enable us to accelerate service delivery to the people.

The country's planning system has a central role in building a capable, ethical and developmental state and in the achievement of our national goals.

We have to ensure that all other plans, including sector plans, institutional plans should be informed by a pro poor budgeting approach, such as Annual Performance Plans (APPs) Integrated Developments Plans (IDPs) and all other plans across the three spheres of government are aligned to the NDP and MTDP and more effectively contributes to the achievement of:

• Inclusive growth and job creation,
• Reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living,
• Building a capable, ethical and developmental state

DPME has made important strides in strengthening integrated planning and improving harmonisation of planning and synergies across the state machinery.

There are number of areas where we need to sharpen our implementation tools.

Changes in the manner we approach our work and use of technology to up the ante during this fluid period is a prerequisite for success.

I end by returning to the Deputy President again “This period calls on us to deepen our efforts in building a culture that respects and upholds human rights. This requires us to recognise the inherent value and dignity of every individual, regardless of our background, beliefs, or circumstances. It is important for us to actively confront the systemic inequalities that perpetuate injustice".

Let All be equal before the law!

Let the Doors of Learning and Culture be opened to All!

Re a leboga

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