by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOUTH Africans have been urged to safeguard their hard-won freedom and deepen democracy while advancing human rights for all, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
In his weekly letter to the nation on Monday, ahead of Freedom Day on 27 April, Ramaphosa called for renewed reflection on the country’s journey towards a more inclusive, rights-based society and the continued strengthening of its Constitution.
“Thirty years after adopting our Constitution, South African society remains rooted in a culture of human rights, the rule of law and the expression of the people’s will through regular elections,” he said.
He added that South Africa’s democratic project carries responsibilities beyond its borders.
“What we have built, and continue to build, is distinctive. It places an obligation on South Africa, as an active member of the international community, to advance our constitutional values globally,” he said, referring to his participation in the fourth meeting of the ‘In Defence of Democracy’ initiative in Barcelona, Spain.
The initiative, launched by Brazil and Spain in 2024, seeks to counter growing threats to democratic institutions, including extremism, polarisation, disinformation and intolerance.
Ramaphosa warned that democracy is under strain in many parts of the world, with solidarity and cooperation increasingly challenged by narrow nationalism and prejudice.
Ongoing conflicts, he noted, are often driven by competition over resources or rooted in divisions dating back to the colonial era.
At the Barcelona meeting, he stressed that countries must not be “bullied into silence” when human dignity and rights are violated.
He also called for the United Nations to play a stronger role in global affairs, arguing that institutions of global governance must be reformed to ensure fair representation.
“It is evident that bodies such as the UN Security Council are often unable to prevent conflict or halt atrocities,” he said.
Highlighting inequality as a major threat to democracy, Ramaphosa said political and economic systems must deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“All people must have an equal opportunity to influence decisions that affect them,” he said.
He reiterated South Africa’s support for establishing an International Panel on Inequality, aimed at identifying policy solutions to address disparities within and between nations.
The proposal stems from recommendations in a global inequality report commissioned during South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
Ramaphosa said the ‘In Defence of Democracy’ initiative aligns with South Africa’s foreign policy and that the country remains committed to its objectives.
He warned that democratic decline elsewhere has direct consequences at home, affecting the economy through geopolitical tensions and the politicisation of trade, investment and aid.
He also noted growing scepticism towards democratic values, both globally and domestically, including mistrust of principles such as equality, human rights and freedom.
“As we mark Freedom Day, we must recommit ourselves to protecting and strengthening our democracy,” he said.
“We must work together to overcome poverty, inequality and underdevelopment, which threaten our democratic gains. We must not follow the path of societies that have lost faith in democracy and are increasingly defined by the rule of the powerful and the erosion of rights.”
Ramaphosa concluded that South Africa’s experience of building unity from a deeply divided past places it in a unique position to champion democratic values worldwide.
“The defence of democracy is gaining momentum,” he said, “as more leaders, governments and citizens recognise what is at stake and are prepared to act.”
– CAJ News