President Cyril Ramaphosa says though we may have our own differences as South Africans, we share a common goal to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ramaphosa delivered his Human Rights Day address on Sunday under the theme “The Year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting Human Rights in the Age of Covid-19”.

“We have lost mothers, fathers, siblings, colleagues and friends to this disease. It has taken a toll on our economy and people lost their jobs. We had to sacrifice basic human rights such as meeting with the people we love. But there has been an understanding that they were necessary to preserve our lives.

“We have shown our resilience as a people, our determination as a collective to defeat this pandemic,” said the President.

Ramaphosa said the country was now in the phase of reconstruction and recovery and urged South Africans to work together to achieve this.

“We are working to build a new economy that promises equal opportunity for all. Let us remember that this is a struggle that is far greater than ourselves

“We must become a society where men, women and children are free from violence, and where their rights are protected.

“We must be a society of equal opportunity for all, regardless of one’s race, sex, sexual orientation, or whether one is able-bodied or a person with disabilities.

“We must be a society with quality healthcare, education and basic services are provided to our people regardless of whether they live in a village, or in a town or a city.

“We must be a society where the land is owned not by the few, but where all access is given to our people for land development and progress, and for self-uplifting.”

The government has provided care and social support to those in need, preserving their right to life, health and dignity as a result, said Ramaphosa.

“We are working to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines are available to everyone in our country. We have weathered the storm of Covid-19 partly because of human rights in the country. We must recognise the dignity of all individuals and the role of everyone in rebuilding our economy. We must make this promise a reality in the eyes of our people,” he said.

The Citizen