by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to protect the constitutional values of equality, non-racialism, non-sexism, democracy and human dignity, describing them as an integral part of the country’s shared heritage.
In his weekly letter, following Heritage Day celebrations last week, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s diverse languages, cultures and traditions were important expressions of the nation’s identity, but that its constitutional principles were equally fundamental.
“It is always heartening on this national day to see South Africans from every community celebrating their own heritage while also honouring the heritage of others,” Ramaphosa said.
He recalled the country’s transition to democracy in 1994, saying South Africans had chosen to acknowledge the injustices of the past while committing themselves to building a united nation.
“These values are as much our heritage as the cultures we practise and the languages we speak, the traditions we observe and the cultures we celebrate,” he said.
Ramaphosa warned that violence against women, racism and xenophobia threatened the social fabric and contradicted the principles on which democratic South Africa was founded.
“The abuse, rape and killing of women is a stain on our national conscience,” he said.
“We refuse to be defined by xenophobia and intolerance.”
While affirming South Africa’s commitment to African unity and integration, Ramaphosa said migration must be managed within the law, with government responsible for effective border management and everyone in the country required to obey its laws.
He also defended measures aimed at addressing the legacy of apartheid, rejecting comparisons between constitutional redress and the former system of racial oppression.
“There is no moral equivalence between redress and discrimination,” Ramaphosa said.
“There is no equivalence between legitimate, constitutionally grounded measures of redress and the systematic racial oppression of apartheid.”
The president urged South Africans to guard against rhetoric that could deepen racial and social divisions, while acknowledging the constitutional protection of freedom of expression.
“The Constitution guarantees freedom of expression. But with this freedom comes responsibility,” he said.
He cautioned against inflammatory statements concerning women, foreign nationals and violent crime, arguing that such rhetoric could worsen existing social tensions.
Ramaphosa also criticised the promotion of what he called false claims of a “white genocide” abroad, saying such conduct could damage South Africa’s economic interests at a time when the country needs investment and employment.
“We may be a diverse nation, but we are united by the constitutional values that make us South African,” he said.
The president called on citizens to renew the commitment made in 1994 to build the country collectively.
“Every day, through our words and our deeds, we must renew the choice we made in 1994 and affirmed when we adopted our Constitution: the choice to build this country together,” Ramaphosa said.
“That is our shared heritage. It is also our shared responsibility.”
– CAJ News