President Cyril Ramaphosa says the land debate in South Africa has shown the country’s prospects of a healthy democracy. He says this has been shown by the enthusiasm citizens showed in their participation in the debate on the land issue.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address a short while ago at the commemoration taking place at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
“ The burning issue of land, of access to land and ownership of land has brought into focus the reality that we still have to extend the property rights that are enshrined in our Constitution to all South Africans and the property rights happened to be the body of our bill of rights as well. It has also raised the issue that in order to fulfill the obligations contained in the Constitution, it may be necessary in certain circumstances to amend certain sections of the same Constitution.”
Ramaphosa says South Africa will continue to strive for the betterment of the country’s Constitution to give all citizens a voice. He says it is very significant for the country to have a Constitution that was signed by former President Nelson Mandela 48 years after the declaration.
He says it is time that South Africans’ rights are respected in accordance with the Constitution. “Constitution Hill is more than just a monument to the past – it is a testament to resilience as well as unshakable strength of the human spirit. The founder of our democracy, Nelson Mandela was incrassated here twice at the Old Fort in the early 60s. When he returned decades later he spoke of his experience and of the former jail being turned into a place of commemoration. ”
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