RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RIGHTS GO HAND IN HAND WITH RESPONSIBILITIES

Our country has been through a very difficult time during the apartheid; black people were segregated and treated unfairly. South Africa became a Democratic country and black &white people had the same and equal rights, however each and every right has a set of responsibilities. Each and every person has to know that they have rights and have to act responsibly. Being responsible with rights is knowing and respecting your and the rights of other people; one must not at any point violate another person’s rights.  Each rights comes with a lot of responsibilities.

Section 9 of Chapter 2 of The Bill Of Rights – EQUALITY

1. Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
2. Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to promote or advance persons or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.
3. The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
4. No person may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection (3). National legislation must be enacted to prevent or prohibit unfair discrimination.
5. Discrimination on one or more of the grounds listed in subsection (3) is unfair unless it is established that the discrimination is fair.
   Section 29 of Chapter 2 of The Bill Of Rights – EDUCATION

1. Everyone has right-

1. To a basic education, including adult basic education; and
2. To further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available accessible.

1. Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions where that education is reasonably practicable. In order to ensure the effective access to, and implementation of, this right, the state must consider all reasonable educational alternatives, including single medium institutions, taking into account-

1. Equity;
2. Practicability; and
3. The need to redress the results of past racially discriminatory laws and practices.

1. Everyone has the right to establish and maintain, at their own expense, independent educational institutions that –

1. Do not discriminate on the basis of race;
2. Are registered with the state; and
3. Maintain standards that are inferior to standards at comparable public educational institutions.

    4.Subsection (3) does not preclude state subsidies for independent educational institutions.

• EQUALITY – Having the right to equality places me on the responsibility to:

1. Treat every person equally and fairly.
2. Do not discriminate unfairly, against anyone on the basis of race, gender, religion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, culture, language, status or appearance.

•  I have the right to be treated equally but I also have the right to treat the next person equally, I am not superior to anyone no matter my race, social status, gender and etc. our country’s motto is !KEE:/XARRA//KE, which means “Diverse people Unite”, that simply means that we have to celebrate our diversity and it is our diversity that makes us who we are and helps us build a common sense of belonging and national pride.

• EDUCATION – My responsibility is to 1. attend school regularly, to learn and work hard. 2. Cooperate respectfully with teachers and fellow learners and adhere to the rules and the code of conduct of the school. Parents also have responsibilities and that is to ensure that their child attends school and receives support and teachers responsibilities are to promote and reflect the culture of learning and teaching in giving effect to this right.

South African Government. 2017. Bill of Responsibilities.  [Online] gov.za/about-government-programmes/bill-responsibilities.