Deputy President Paul Mashatile has noted claims made by Sergeant Fannie Nkosi at the Madlanga Commission earlier today to the effect that the Deputy President met with Mr. Vusimuzi Cat Matlala or that the latter intended to meet with him.

Deputy President Mashatile categorically denies the claims. Of significance is that the Deputy President does not know the individuals referenced in the testimony and has never had any association or dealings with them. Of greater significance is that the Deputy President  was out of the country at the time that Mr. Matlala purportedly met with him or intended to do so.

Deputy President Mashatile categorically rejects Sergeant Nkosi's claims and is prepared to  cooperate with the Madlanga Commission fully should the Commission require any clarity or assistance from him. 

 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President, on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director,
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr. Gayton Mckenzie,
Premier of the Northern Cape, Mr. Zamani Saul,
All traditional leaders present here today,
Representatives of the descendant communities,
MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr. Mangaliso Matika,
Executive Mayor of the Namakwa District Municipality, Cllr Alinda Beukus,
Mayor of the Nama Khoi Local Municipality, Cllr Rodney Krtizinger,
The leadership and members of the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team,
Representatives from The Hunterian Museum, Dr. Steph Scholten and Dr. Andy Mills,
Representatives of political parties and civil society organisations,
Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Goeie môre. Dumelang. Molweni. Sanibonani. Avuxeni. Ndi Matsheloni. Lotjhani. 

It is an honour to be here today as we lay our ancestors to rest.

A dignified burial is but the least we can do as the democratic government to honour these, our countrymen and countrywomen, who were victims of a terrible past. 

The Nama, Khoi, Korana, Griqua and San people bore the brunt of European conquest of southern Africa. They were dispossessed of their lands, and unimaginable violence was unleashed upon them. 

In life, they were robbed of their names, their culture, and their very humanity.

During a dark period of scientific racism in the late 18th century and 19th century, many of our people were coerced to leave southern Africa for Europe; where their physical features made them exotic specimens for exhibition, study and exploitation. 

Not even death would spare them from indignity. 

Their remains were dug up from graves and sold to museums and medical institutions in Europe. The sale of human remains of indigenous peoples for study in Europe was rooted in racism and used to advance theories of European racial superiority.

Others, like Sara Baartman, died sick and alone in these faraway lands.

Today, as their remains are finally returned to the land from which they were taken, we restore the dignity that was so cruelly denied to them in life and even in death.

It is a culmination of a long journey and a collaborative partnership between government and various stakeholders. They include the Iziko Museum, formerly the South African Museum, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), and the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. 

I would like to welcome the representatives from the Hunterian Museum who are with us today. 

Following discussions that began in 2022, last year we successfully repatriated the remains of five individuals, together with two plaster face-casts and a smoking pipe that was excavated from a burial ground. 

These remains were unethically exhumed between 1868 and 1924 from graves in the Northern Cape and were donated to the university.

The other remains that will be buried today had been housed at the Iziko Museum since the 1920’s.

The return of our ancestors to their descendant communities is a vital act of restoration and restitution that goes beyond acknowledging the colonial legacy, it is also a manifestation of ubuntu – a recognition of our common humanity. 

Today, we accompany them to their final rest here at Kinderlê, a place with a tragic history. 

It was here, in 1867 that 32 Nama children were murdered while their parents were away at a church service. 

The Northern Cape Reburial Task Team has chosen this site as an act of reconciliation, and as a reminder that despite the deep divisions in our past, we are one people.

The greater tragedy of the erasure of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa is that much of it went unacknowledged. 

It was only in the late 20th century that European countries began to seriously confront their colonial legacies, and even then, it has only been some of them. 

Even amidst the emergence of serious critiques on the part of these European powers in the late 1970’s, many have avoided a deeper reckoning. 

Some of these countries have apologized for specific atrocities, but in the main they have fallen short of full, unqualified apologies for colonialism as a whole. 

As democratic South Africa, we do not linger in the shadow of unspoken apologies or deferred reckonings.

We will restore dignity - on our own terms.

This year marks thirty years since our democratic Constitution was signed into law. 

The preamble of the Constitution calls on us to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. 

Our Constitution obliges us to advance restitution for all those who were the victims of colonial and apartheid atrocities.

Since 1994 we have actively implemented legislative and policy reforms to address the historical exclusion of our indigenous communities. We have done this through land restitution and redress, legal recognition of leadership structures, and support for cultural revival and language preservation.

Through the National Policy on Repatriation of Human Remains and Heritage Objects we will continue to forge partnerships with institutions and individuals across the world to recover ancestral human remains that were illegally taken from South Africa.

I would like to thank the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team, the Iziko Museums of South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency for their ongoing work in this regard.

We thank the traditional leadership who are with us today for being part of this important act of redress that we hope will bring a measure of closure to the affected communities. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Human dignity is not dependent on who you are, what language you speak, what colour your skin is, where you were born or how much or how little you have. 

Human dignity is inherent. We claim it for ourselves. 

It cannot be deferred. And it cannot be erased.

The illegal exhumation of our ancestors for sale in faraway lands exposed the depths of depravity to which human beings could descend.

They were dug up and turned into commodities and specimens, displayed under the cold gaze of pseudoscience. 

Their restless spirits were left to wander here in the Northern Cape, the land where they once lived.

Today we welcome their mortal remains, that they may at last be reunited with their spirits.

They were not nobodies. 

They came from communities. They had families. Each and every one of their lives had meaning and purpose.

They were our people. 

They came from this land, to which we now return them.

And we have brought them home to be buried here alongside the children of Kinderlê.

In the words of our great legend Diana Ferrus:

“I have come to take you home, where the ancient mountains shout your name. I have made your bed at the foot of the hill. Your blankets are covered in buchu and mint. The proteas stand in yellow and white.

I have come to take you home where I will sing for you, for you have brought me peace. For you have brought us peace.”

We honour you. We remember your precious lives. We pray that you may finally rest in peace. 

I thank you.

Once again on this day, 23 March 2026, we celebrate the Southern Africa Liberation Day – one of the most significant milestones in our shared journey toward freedom and independence as a regional community. We honour, with deep respect and gratitude, the brave men and women who stood at the forefront of the struggle to liberate the Southern African region. Through their unwavering commitment and resilience, many freedom fighters and ordinary citizens made immense sacrifices in the fight against colonial rule and apartheid, laying the foundation for the peace, dignity, and sovereignty we uphold today.

We also recall, with profound appreciation, the solidarity and support of our international partners – most notably the people and government of Cuba – who deployed their military forces to stand alongside regional liberation movements and independent states. Together, they confronted the South African Defence Force of the apartheid regime in the historic Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola. This decisive confrontation marked a turning point in the struggle for liberation in Southern Africa, contributing significantly to the independence of Namibia in 1990, and paving the way for the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994.

We continue to draw inspiration for our regional integration and development agenda from the vision and determination of the Founders of SADC. While we mark this seminal moment in our region's history annually, it is far from an empty ritual performed merely to acknowledge a date on the calendar. Rather, it serves as an important opportunity for reflection on where we stand today in relation to our historical struggles that sought to secure for our people the right to determine their own systems of governance, to exercise control over their economies and ultimately to reclaim their dignity and collective destiny.

In addition to commemorating the Southern Africa Liberation Day, we are reminded of the 38th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit held in August 2018 in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia, where the region’s Leadership approved the establishment of a regional working group of curriculum experts tasked with determining the requirements for teaching Southern African Liberation History and its integration into the school curricula of SADC Member States. We look forward to the most noble endeavour to take root across our region.

May we continue to demonstrate solidarity and honour our liberation heritage and interconnected communities through meaningful and enduring cooperation, including the naming of heritage sites, museums, monuments, streets, buildings, and other institutions after the fallen heroes and heroines of our liberation struggles. In doing so, we preserve their legacy, inspire future generations, and reaffirm our collective commitment to the values of freedom, unity, and dignity for which they so selflessly stood.

As we navigate the realities of an increasingly unpredictable global environment, I urge all of us, as independent nations and citizens of SADC, to remain vigilant in the face of emerging challenges that may threaten our hard-won independence and the stability of our region. Let us remain focused, united, and steadfast in advancing our common regional agenda, guided by the enduring principles of solidarity, resilience, and collective self-determination.

The liberation we commemorate will remain incomplete as long as some of our fellow Africans continue to yearn for self-determination. We therefore stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, who continue to be denied the fundamental right to determine their own destiny.

As with the SADC Founders and many who fought tirelessly for our liberation, we reaffirm that it is neither the colour of our skin, nor the size of our military arsenals, nor the magnitude of our national budgets that should determine our humanity or the sustainability of the human race as a whole. May dialogue and peace be our most righteous armour to safeguard the freedom we continue to enjoy and work collectively toward a more just and equitable world.

Let us ensure that SADC, the cradle of humanity, realises its hopes towards regional and universal integration.

I wish the SADC family a blessed, peaceful and commemorative Liberation Day.

The Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Hon. Nonceba Mhlauli, will hand over a Mobile Digital Library at Louwville High School in Vredenburg, West Coast, Western Cape.

The handover forms part of ongoing efforts to expand access to digital learning resources, enhance teaching and learning outcomes, and promote digital inclusion, particularly in schools with limited connectivity and infrastructure. 

The Mobile Digital Library provides learners and educators with access to curriculum-aligned content through offline digital platforms, enabling interactive and technology-enabled education.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Time: 11:30 – 12:00
Venue: Louwville High School, Vredenburg, West Coast, Western Cape

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the handover.

Media enquiries: Mandisa Mbele, 082 580 2213 or MandisaM@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, will on Thursday, 26 March 2026, host his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Vice President Han Zheng, at Tuynhuys, Cape Town in the Western Cape Province. 

The two leaders will co-chair the 9th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission (BNC), under the theme: "South Africa-China Relations in an Era of Global Transformation: Advancing Shared Modernisation".

South Africa and China enjoy strong diplomatic relations, anchored in the All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era. The BNC at the Deputy Presidential level was established in 2000 as the highest-structured bilateral mechanism for consolidating diplomatic, economic, and sectoral cooperation between the two nations. 

Other Bilateral Structured Mechanisms with China to implement the 10-Year Strategic Programme on Cooperation (2020–2029), and monitor cooperation, include the Strategic Dialogue (SD) at Ministerial level DIRCO, the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC) at Minister of Trade level, the People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM) at Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture level, and the Joint Working Group at Deputy Ministerial level DIRCO. 

Additionally, reciprocal State Visits and exchange of visits across Government Ministries, Parliament and Provinces reflect the depth of the relations and advance South Africa’s foreign policy and development priorities.

Details of the SA-China BNC are as follows:

Date: Thursday, 26 March 2026
Time: 10h00 (Media to arrive and obtain accreditation at 08h00)
Venue: Tuynhuys, Parliament, Cape Town

Members of the media wishing to cover the BNC are requested to RSVP by Tuesday, 24 March 2026.

RSVP: Bongani Majola (Presidency) on 082 339 1993 / bonganim@presidency.gov.za or Nelson Kgwete (DIRCO) on 076 431 3078 / kgweten@dirco.gov.za 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President, on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this afternoon attend South Africa’s LIV Golf tournament at Steyn City, in Johannesburg’s “new north”.

This marks the first time LIV Golf is being held on African soil, and the first edition in South Africa, making it a historic new addition to the continent’s growing schedule of international events.

The LIV Golf League is a revolutionary professional golf format that complements traditional golf while bringing new levels of excitement and engagement to fans and players alike.

With events across the world, LIV Golf aims to revitalise the sport, attract new audiences, and create innovative traditions while remaining rooted in the sport’s heritage. 

Its global social programs also seek to positively impact the lives of young people across communities.

The South African edition represents a unique opportunity to showcase the country as a premier sporting destination while inspiring a new generation of golfers and sporting enthusiasts.

The four-day Steyn City competition features top international players, including first-rate South Africans.

President Ramaphosa will attend the event as follows:
Date: Sunday, 22 March 2026
Time: 13h30
Venue: Steyn City, Johannesburg 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Programme Director,
Organised Labour Overall Convenor, Mr Gerald Mkhomazi Twala;
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala;
Leaders of our trade union federations, Zingiswa Losi, President of COSATU, and GS Solly Phetoe; Comrade, Godfrey Selamastela of FEDUSA; Comrade Steve Manganye of NACTU, and Comrade Maredi, Acting President of SAFTU, led by President Maredi;
Fellow compatriots,

Good Morning,

Comrades, leaders of our great federations, we gather at a decisive moment in our nation’s journey, a moment where the choices we make, and the actions we take, will profoundly shape the future of South Africa.

Today, I invite you to return to the roots of our struggle, to the spirit of activism anchored in three enduring pillars: mobilisation, education, and unity. These pillars must guide us as we confront the defining challenges of our time: global economic instability, widening inequality, and the disruptive impact of technological change.

These challenges call on us to reignite the fire of activism. The fire that blazed in Durban in 1973, when mass strikes revived black unionism. The fire that forced recognition of black unions in 1979.

The fire that gave birth to COSATU in 1985, whose courage helped cripple the apartheid economy and advance our liberation.

And indeed, COSATU was not alone.

The National Council of Trade Unions carried forward unity and resistance. The Federation of Unions of South Africa brought diverse voices together. In our democratic era, SAFTU emerged to continue the fight against job losses, inequality, and poverty.

From apartheid’s crucible to democracy’s promise, trade unions have been more than defenders of workers’ rights, they have been architects of a just society.

Today, as unemployment and inequality continue to scar our nation, we draw strength from the resilience of leaders such as Elijah Barayi and James Mndaweni, who ensured that the worker’s voice became the voice of dignity and transformation. Their legacy must guide us as we confront urgent challenges:

Unemployment, especially among the youth, is a challenge that must never be normalised. Inequality is deepening, with the risk that digital economies benefit a few while excluding many. Poverty continues to undermine dignity and opportunity. 

These challenges demand a unified response bringing together workers, unions, communities, government, and society at large.

The 7th Administration has prioritised three strategic objectives: Driving inclusive growth and job creation; Reducing poverty and the cost of living; Building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.

In the 2026/27 Budget, social protection remains central, with the social wage accounting for over 60% of non-interest spending.

At the same time, we are expanding employment through infrastructure investment and the Presidential Employment Stimulus, particularly targeting young people and women.

Through Operation Vulindlela, we are addressing structural constraints in energy and logistics, laying the foundation for sustained, inclusive growth. Encouragingly, the economy grew by 1.1% in 2025, with inflation easing to 3.0% in February 2026. But we must be clear: growth without jobs is not enough.

Our task is to ensure that growth is inclusive—that it reaches: The young jobseeker in Muyexe; the discouraged worker in Ntabankulu; the struggling family in every corner of our country. True progress is measured not in statistics, but in lives uplifted, dignity restored and hope renewed.

However, our public employment programmes must not entrench dependency. They must create pathways to skills, work experience, and long-term opportunities. This is how a capable state acts, protecting the vulnerable today while building productive capacity for tomorrow.

Comrades,

International experience reinforces this approach. For instance, China has reduced poverty through targeted reforms and skills development, and the United Kingdom has demonstrated how public institutions can be both compassionate and efficient.

Here at home, our reforms are guided by the same objective: to build a state that is the greatest ally of the worker. Yet we must confront a difficult reality: the labour market is changing.

Formal employment is shrinking. Precarious work is rising. Too many workers live with uncertainty. We must therefore act decisively: to protect workers from exploitation; expand access to secure employment; and enforce health and safety standards without compromise. No worker should lose their life or livelihood due to non-compliance.

Compatriots, our trade unions must also evolve! Beyond wage negotiations, unions must: shape macroeconomic policy; support labour-intensive investment; and drive skills development and job creation.

This perspective also brings us to the discussion around the future of work. Workers with access to skills and training should be able to secure better wages, stability, and dignity. The Human Resource Development Council remains central in aligning education with labour market needs. As Chair of the HRDC, I reaffirm our commitment to this agenda.

We must also confront the rise of Artificial Intelligence. AI is already transforming sectors from freight logistics at Transnet to predictive maintenance at Eskom. While these innovations improve efficiency, they also reshape jobs and demand new skills.

Our responsibility is clear: no worker must be managed or dismissed by an algorithm alone; workers must share in productivity gains; displaced workers must be retrained and supported. Technology must empower workers, not replace them and their dignity!

Comrades,

This Labour School must be more than a forum; it must be a platform for shaping the future. I challenge our federations to develop a Digital Workers’ Charter, grounded in the right to retraining; data sovereignty; digital dignity; human oversight in all automated systems.

Regarding the issue of the urgent housing needs of workers, we acknowledge that too many public servants fall into a gap where they earn too much for RDP housing, yet too little to access mortgage finance. 

This is unacceptable. Minister of Human Settlements is We developing innovative housing solutions that ensure access to affordable, quality housing. Supporting public servants in this way is not just social policy, it is an investment in the capability of the state.

Compatriots,

We cannot achieve our goals without organised labour.
Through NEDLAC, in the upcoming National Dialogue, we have an opportunity to forge a new social compact that unites government, business, labour, and civil society. But dialogue alone is not enough. Dialogue must lead to action!

As I conclude, allow me to make a point at the geopolitical level. Firstly, South Africa posture remains of being non-aligned, in the interests of promoting a multipolar world order and defending national interests. 

Secondly, South Africa will continue to stand for peace in the Middle East and other parts of the world. We are committed to silencing the guns on our continent and promoting peace and cooperation across the world. We condemn the unprovoked attack on Iran by the US and call for de-escalation from both sides. This is primarily because development cannot exist without peace.

Compatriots, 

May we see this platform as an opportunity to continue standing in solidarity with the people – workers, women, youth, and other marginalised groups. Let us not act as isolated voices, but as one chorus for dignity, justice, and opportunity. Only together can we bend the arc of our nation toward hope and renewal.

Let us continue working together to build a South Africa where every worker enjoys dignity, security, and opportunity, as promised in the Freedom Charter: “The people shall share in the country’s wealth. There shall be work and security for all.” 

Aluta Continua!

I thank you.
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday, 23 March 2026, officiate the reburial ceremony of Khoi & San ancestral human remains to be held at Kinderlê Monument, Steinkopf, Northern Cape Province.

The ancestral remains of those to be reburied total 63, following the repatriation of six that were in Scotland, and the rest of which were held at Iziko Museums. 

These remains are a small group of thousands of illegally removed remains of indigenous people during the late 19th century and the early 20th century. 

After they were illegally dug from their graves, the remains would be traded or donated to newly established museums and universities.

For the San & Khoi people, these violations did not begin in the modern apartheid era but date back centuries with colonial conquest, land dispossession, cultural erasure, removal, race-based scientific research, and the exploitation of ancestral remains. 

The process of repatriation and reburial of these human remains has been jointly facilitated by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and its entities: the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums.

The Northern Cape Task Team, a representative body of various Khoi and San cultural groupings, has provided the necessary cultural guidance and oversight.

This repatriation programme forms part of a broader national commitment to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom, ensuring that they are returned to their homeland with the dignity and respect they deserve. 

The reburial is deeply significant and resonates with the commemorative spirit of Human Rights Month. Human Rights Day commemorates the struggle against dispossession, violence and the denial of dignity. 

The reburial ceremony will take place as follows:
Date: Monday, 23 March 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Kinderlê Monument, Steinkopf, Northern Cape

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President on media@presidency.gov.za  

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Programme Directors,
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie,
Premier of Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Justices of the Constitutional Court and other courts,
Heads and representatives of constitutional bodies,
Mayors and Councillors,
Leaders of political formations,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Leaders of civil society formations,
Guests,
Fellow South Africans, 

Good Morning.

Goeie môre.

Dumelang. Sanibonani. Molweni. Avuxeni. Ndi Matsheloni. Lotjhani. 

I greet all people across our land on this Human Rights Day.

This is when we celebrate how far we have come together in building a united, non-racial, non-sexist democratic and prosperous South Africa.

In our different languages we greet one another, affirming a simple but profound truth: that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.

This Human Rights Day takes place in the year that we mark 30 years since our democratic Constitution was signed into law.

It is significant that President Nelson Mandela chose to sign the Constitution into law in Sharpeville, the site of one of the apartheid regime’s worst acts of brutality.

Today, on the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre of the 21st of March 1960, we honour the memories of all those who were killed in the struggle for human rights.

It is fitting that the place that had known so much suffering and tears should be the site from which a new South Africa would rise.

Signing the Constitution into law was the most significant act of our democratic era. 

It was a clear moral commitment to build a society rooted in equality, freedom and human dignity.

Our Constitution is more than the supreme law of the land. 

It set the coordinates for a journey towards a just, inclusive and united future for all South Africans. This is a journey that we remain on to this day. 

The Constitution is our greatest source of national pride not only because of what it contains, but because of how it was written.

The constitution-making process was the most extensive public participation exercise to ever take place in our country.

The Constitutional Assembly was determined that ours should be a homegrown Constitution with broad legitimacy and acceptable to all South Africans.

For nearly a year and a half, we travelled through cities and villages, suburbs and townships, factories and farms to gather people’s contributions to the Constitution.

We engaged with men and women, and with black, white, Indian and coloured South Africans alike. We met with young people with little experience of apartheid and with older people who still carried its painful wounds. 

We listened to the hopes, dreams and fears of middle class and working class South Africans, with the employed and the unemployed.

We held community meetings, met with people at their places of work and study, and shared their views, concerns and proposals on the airwaves. 

Everyone who took part in these discussions had a deep understanding of why human rights mattered. In many cases, their views were born of their own personal experiences of injustice. 

Today we have a People’s Constitution, which every South African citizen of the time had a hand in writing.

This places a particular responsibility on us as a country to uphold the fundamental rights of all people.

 We have a special responsibility to protect and advance the human dignity of all.

The Constitution obliges us to restore what was lost or taken.

Since the adoption of the Constitution, we have worked together to restore the dignity of all those who were denied this fundamental right.

We have done this in many ways.

More than 9 million learners in schools across this country are being fed through the National School Nutrition Programme. 

More than 29 million indigent, unemployed and vulnerable South Africans are receiving old age, disability and child support grants and other forms of social assistance.

More than 80 percent of the population now have access to clean water and adequate sanitation, and more than 2 million poor households across this country receive free basic services.

Our commitment to advancing the right to dignity enabled more than 800,000 students from low-income households to study for free at universities and colleges across the country last year alone.

Here, in the Northern Cape, in schools in Kuboes and Riemvasmaak in the Richtersveld, dignity is being restored to the Nama people, with young children being taught in their native tongue. 

This is a language that nearly died out after the apartheid regime actively suppressed it, and the colonial authorities before them effectively banned people from speaking.

There can be no doubt that over the past 30 years, we have done much to restore the dignity of millions of South Africans as we emerged from the shadow of apartheid. 

But restitution is the unfinished business of our democracy 

There can be no peace, no progress without justice.

There are some who will say bygones should be bygones. 

There are some who say that there is no longer a need for affirmative action and employment equity targets, for land reform and restitution.

Yet we say that restitution is not merely about compensation or redress. 

It is central to building a just society that upholds human dignity. 

If we are to give effect to the promise of our Constitution, we must continue to pursue policies of restitution and redress until our workplaces, our economy and the ownership of this country’s land truly reflects the diversity of the people of this country. 

We must continue until we fully deliver the social justice our people deserve.

The progress we have made across the country bears witness to the fruits of our efforts.

Here in the Northern Cape, black South Africans own, manage and operate farms and mines, businesses and factories. 

Here, in the Northern Cape, a province poised to lead South Africa’s clean energy revolution, black-owned businesses hold majority stakes in massive energy projects that will power the country and someday the continent. 

Here in Kimberley, a black woman, Justice Violet Phatshoane is the Deputy Judge President of the Northern Cape High Court. 

She is one of more than 100 female judges in our superior court that are members of a judiciary headed by a woman, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.

These gains are not the product of chance. They are not a reflection of the inevitable march of time or incidental outcomes.

These gains are the direct and deliberate expression of the promise of our Constitution, which has placed human dignity at the centre of our democratic project. 

The advances we have made – be they in education, healthcare, gender equality or other areas of life – have been made possible because of our constitutional architecture. 

Our Constitution is a covenant for dignity. 

It is the foundational instrument that has over the last 30 years shaped, guided and compelled progress.

Yet we know that the benefits of constitutional democracy have not been equally experienced by all.

Far too many of our citizens live in conditions of poverty. Far too many are unemployed and lack access to economic opportunities. Far too many do not have basic services. 

Many of the developmental challenges we face today are the remnants of a skewed, discriminatory system intended to impoverish generations of black South Africans. 

It is a system whose devastating effects linger to this day.

Corruption, administrative weaknesses and resource constraints have slowed the pace at which constitutional commitments have been translated into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

These shortcomings have contributed to us not being as far along the journey as we had hoped to be. 

Economic inequality challenges the promise of restoring the dignity of all. 

As the Government of National Unity, we have set ourselves the priorities of driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical, developmental state. 

If we are to level the playing field so that all South Africans can reap the benefits of a more prosperous economy, we must pursue growth and redress with equal determination. 

It does not have to be one or the other. 

When the economy is more inclusive, when its benefits are more equitably shared, there is true social justice. 

Addressing the gap between constitutional promise and lived reality is central to the legitimacy and vitality of South Africa’s democracy.

Government cannot do this alone. 

We need to deepen partnerships between government, business, labour and civil society to create more jobs, uplift people from poverty and improve their material conditions. 

We must work together to combat social ills like gender-based violence, criminality and substance abuse. 

We need civil servants who are loyal to the constitution and treat people with dignity. 

Everyone in society needs to cooperate with law-enforcement authorities to root out corruption, which is depriving our people of the goods and services that are their due. 

Those who choose a career in public life must critically consider their motives: do they truly want to serve the South African people or is public office simply a means to self-enrichment. 

Each and every one of us must be the champions of the Constitution. 

We must participate in public hearings, contribute to the making of laws and be part of deciding the priorities for our municipalities. We must make use of the Chapter 9 institutions to hold leaders accountable and to enforce our rights.

Over the course of the next year, we should all be part of the shaping the future of our country through the National Dialogue.

Dialogues will be taking place in every community, in schools, universities and colleges, in clubs and organisations, wherever South Africans gather.

These dialogues will form the basis of a social compact – the promise that we make to ourselves and with each other to strive together to achieve dignity for all.

Constitutional democracy depends on active and informed citizens.

The Constitution’s future will depend not only on state institutions, but on our collective commitment to uphold its values.

Thirty years ago, South Africans chose One Law for One Nation. That choice positioned the Constitution as the cornerstone of our democratic order. 

The task of the next thirty years is to deepen that transformation through restoration, redress and restitution. 

Our task is to ensure that the rights and freedoms contained in the Constitution are not only protected in law but experienced in the daily lives of all South Africans.

Our Constitution is our moral compass. 

It does not change direction for individuals. It does not move for political parties or for the government of the day. 

No matter how turbulent the journey, advancing human dignity is the Constitution’s true north. 

In 1996, when the Constitution became law, we made a break with a divided past. Today we work for a shared future. We have not yet reached the end of that journey.

On this Human Rights Day, I call on each of us to rededicate ourselves to fulfilling the promise of the Constitution in action, thought, word and deed. 

The faith that moved the drafters of the Constitution – the people of South Africa – lives on today. 

Let us continue along our journey, one and all, towards a South Africa of true equality where the dignity of all is not an aspiration, but a reality.

I thank you.
 

Programme Director,
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Social partners,
Educators and parents,
Learners,
Guests,
 
Good Morning. 
 
It is wonderful to be here with our young citizens from Re Tlameng School. 
 
I am so proud of you all. 
 
It is not easy to be a young person finding your way in the world.
 
And yet you have not let your challenges hold you back.
 
You are pursuing your education with determination so that you can someday fulfil your dreams. 
 
I want to salute our parents and the dedicated educators at the school. 
 
These young people rely on you and you continue to make a big difference in their lives with your patience, your kindness and your support. 
 
You are an inspiration to other parents and families in our communities who have children with special needs. 
 
Many of these families are struggling and don’t know who to approach for help. 
 
Many young people with special needs face stigma and discrimination. 
 
That is why I am glad we have our friends from the media here, to publicise the good work being done here and to let struggling families know they are not alone. 
 
This year we celebrate 30 years since our democratic Constitution was signed into law by President Nelson Mandela. 
 
The Constitution commits all of us to work together for a shared future that upholds the rights and dignity of every South African. 
 
This school is a testament to that enduring commitment. 
 
For 33 years, Re Tlameng Special Needs School has been serving and supporting visual and hearing-impaired learners to receive a dignified, quality education. 
 
President Mandela said that there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.
 
Madiba recognised, as we do now, that equipping our young people for their future calls for partnerships between government, business, labour and civil society. 
 
In this regard, I would like to thank all the partners who continue to support the school’s work. 
 
This support has made the impressive upgrades that we have seen today possible, including a multi-purpose combi court and upgrades to the library and computer laboratory. 
 
We welcome the donation of books in English and Setswana and laptops to support digital learning.
 
We call on those who have made these contributions to remain involved with the school and to continue to help where needed. 
 
This initiative is a powerful demonstration of what it means to translate constitutional values into real change in the lives of people. 
 
The Bill of Rights protects the rights of children. 
 
The Constitution obliges the state to ensure there is access to education by providing adequate infrastructure and trained teachers. 
 
However, we still have far to go to ensure access to education for children with special needs. 
 
According to Statistics South Africa, between 500,000 and 900,000 children with special needs remain out of formal education. 
 
There are not enough facilities to meet the need. This goes beyond physical infrastructure to include the support services needed for learning and development. 
 
That is why partnerships are so vital. When government, the private sector and public institutions work together, we are able to unlock resources, innovation and solutions that no single entity can achieve alone. 
 
This school is a beacon of hope for the community, for the province and for the country. 
 
It is an example of what is possible with the support of all our social partners.
 
With these partners, with the teachers and educators – and most importantly, with these remarkable learners – I am certain that Re Tlameng will continue to grow from strength to strength. 
 
I thank you.