Human Rights Day emanates from the Sharpeville Massacre that took place on 21 March 1960, where the apartheid police shot and killed 69 people during a peaceful protest. Human Rights are very important in a country like South Africa that has a history of Apartheid and significant inequalities.
This year, South Africa commemorates Human Rights Month under the theme: "The year of Charlotte Maxeke: promoting human rights in the Age of COVID-19". This year's commemoration of Human Rights Month coincides with the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. Our Constitution is praised as one of the most progressive in the world because of how it affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom.
The Constitution is the ultimate protector of our Human Rights, which were previously denied to most of our people under Apartheid. The constitution describes each of the roles and responsibilities of the arms of the government and citizens while the Bill of rights describes the rights and freedom of the people.
These rights include rights to life, equality, human dignity, children's rights, property, freedom of expression, health care, food, water, and social security, amongst others.
Previously, a person had to be of a certain skin colour to be afforded access to certain services and facilities. In 2021 we celebrate the rights we have as a nation to life and equal opportunities. Times such as the present where we are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, the inequalities in society become more evident. Having a right does not mean you have access to whatever right you are entitled to, for example, it has been communicated across the world that everyone should wash their hands regularly, sanitise and observe social distancing.
Those precautions sound straightforward, however, not all communities in South Africa have access to running water, not all people can afford to buy sanitisers. Additionally, some communities such as informal settlements, houses are built so close to each other you cannot social distant from your neighbour. 
Considering the inequalities mentioned, government has made much progress and continues to do so to ensure that everyone residing in the country feels like they belong.
The department of Social Development has also continued to promote and protect social security and rights for food amongst other rights as enshrined in the constitution by continuing to provide South African residents with food parcels and social security grants.
One person's rights should not infringe another person's right, as a nation we must understand that every right comes with a responsibility. Additionally, it is our responsibility as a country to strive for all-inclusive socio-economic development and combat scourges such as corruption, racism, GBVF and xenophobia which continue to undermine human rights principles.