Dr Ivan Meyer Celebrates Human Rights Day with Community.

Human Rights Day is an important day on the SA calendar to remind us of our past, present and future as South Africans.  As a young and vibrant, but fragile democracy it is important to recognise the pillars of our constitutional democracy.  The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa recognises individual freedom and individual responsibilities.

On Saturday, 21 March 2015, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ivan Meyer, joined a Western Cape Parliamentary outreach programme, representing the Western Cape Government in the Matzikama municipal area.  He addressed the public in Klawer and Vredendal and also interacted with the local community in Lutzville.

Minister Meyer spoke about the Bill of Rights and involved the audience in his presentation about rights and responsibilities in a constitutional democracy.  A booklet: “What does the Constitution mean to you” was also distributed to the participants.  Minister Meyer was accompanied by an official from the Provincial Parliament, Mr Christopher Ferndale who is part of the Public Education and Outreach section. 

The core message was that all people in South Africa have rights and responsibilities and that we must all protect these rights in a responsible manner.  Mr Ferndale has also used the opportunity to explain how the local community could access the Parliament through petitions and submissions.  The Western Cape Provincial Parliamentary Public Education and Outreach section will do follow up workshops at schools and the municipality within the first quarter of 2015.

The local member of Parliament (National Assembly), Mr Chris Hunsinger also attended the Human Rights events and will lead the process to raise one of the human rights issues in Matzikama through the legislative process of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.  The Human Rights day was well attended and it succeed in creating a citizen centric approach to governance by reaching out to citizens in their local communities.

The Western Cape Provincial Treasury is proud to be associated with the promotion of human rights and constitutional democracy in South Africa.