New celebration patterns for Human Rights day

By Ofentse Mokae
16 March 2010

Human Rights Day celebrations for 2010 will take a little different form from the norm.

The Arts and Culture department has announced that the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre on the 21st of March will run under the theme, “Working together we can do more to protect human rights”.

Spokesperson for the department Lisa Combrinck says the celebration will feature all political parties that are represented in the National Parliament.

According to the department government is looking to celebrate national holidays in a more inclusive way, with all political parties taking part.

Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance says the department has blown millions of taxpayers’ money on luxurious parties and celebrations at times unnecessarily.

DA shadow minister on Arts and Culture Annelie Lotriet says although certian events may have some legitimate value to them; many, however, are clearly simply excuses to blow enormous sums of public funds on gala dinners, music concerts and freebies.

“The fact that R42-million has been spent on these sorts of events, which largely consist of gala dinners, music concerts and the handing out of complementary gifts, shows a lot about how little idea the Arts and Culture department has about priorities,” Lotriet says.

In another development the Pan Africanist Congress says 21 March will never be a human rights day or a cause for celebration.

The PAC which has one seat in parliament says it will always regard the day as the Sharpeville / Langa Day.

The party says the rights of the African people to the land, jobs, houses, education and food is, in its opinion, are not respected.

The PAC says the mass protests being witnessed today attest to the fact that land decides everything.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NEWSFLASH NEWS AGENCY