Human Rights Day was celebrated on Saturday 21 March, with a vibrant gathering held in the Mount Pleasant Business Centre. The event, attended by DA members and local residents, opened with a stirring rendition of the national anthem led by the Zwelihle Young Brothers, setting a tone of unity and reflection.
In his keynote address MP Rikus Badenhorst, the DA’s Constituency Head for Overstrand, urged citizens to live out the promise of the Constitution daily, rather than treating it as a symbolic text revisited once a year.
Reading from the preamble to the Constitution, Badenhorst posed challenging questions: Are we truly improving the quality of life for all citizens? Are we freeing the potential of each person? Are we upholding equality before the law in communities plagued by crime? And are we safeguarding a government based on the will of the people when corruption erodes trust?
“Human rights are not just constitutional ideals, they are practical outcomes,” Badenhorst emphasised. “And those outcomes depend on one thing: whether government works.” He highlighted the Overstrand as an example of consistent, if imperfect, governance, where services are delivered, infrastructure is maintained, finances are responsibly managed and communities are respected.
Badenhorst linked these principles directly to the DA’s Local Government Election 2026 campaign, anchored on four fundamentals: create jobs, fight crime, end corruption and deliver excellent services. He explained that jobs restore dignity, crime prevention ensures freedom, clean governance protects rights, and reliable service delivery turns constitutional promises into lived realities. “Human rights are delivered through local government,” he said. “When water runs, refuse is collected, roads are maintained and electricity is reliable, businesses can operate and communities thrive.”
Closing his address Badenhorst reminded councillors and activists that they are more than campaigners. “You are the bridge between the Constitution and the community. Every conversation is an opportunity to show what good governance looks like. Every issue you resolve is an opportunity to restore trust.”
The celebration underscored the DA’s message: Human Rights Day is about delivery, dignity and the daily work of building a better South Africa.
