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Human Rights Day celebrations to take place in Bloemfontein’s oldest township

───   OLEBOGENG MOTSE 08:00 Wed, 20 Mar 2019

Human Rights Day celebrations to take place in Bloemfontein’s oldest township | News Article

The Free State branch of the South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will be hosting Human Rights Day celebrations in Bloemfontein’s oldest existing township this year.


Human Rights Officer, Naleli Morojele, announced in a media briefing at the Commission’s offices in the province that on March 21, they will be hosting a community engagement session at Sehunelo Secondary School in Batho Location. Morojele and Provincial Manager Thabang Kheswa say they have invited different stakeholders from government departments and civil organisations to celebrate the day through active engagement with the people of this area. Morojele says there will also be a panel discussion on that day involving people who have expertise in dealing with different human rights issues, for example, student activism and housing evictions.

The Human Rights officer says “it’s important for us as the Commission not just to go into communities and be like a dictator, dictating to people what are their human rights”.  Morojele emphasises the importantce of engaging with the community to gain an idea of what kind of issues are they experiencing.

South Africans celebrate Human Rights Day, on the day the Sharpeville massacre took place in 1960. Scores of protesters took to the street on that day against the pass laws of that time. Police, however, opened fire on the angry protesters killing tens of people and injuring more. The massacre and the events that took place thereafter kicked off the nation’s arduous journey towards democracy. Batho Location is also home to the well-known Mapikela house. The home was built and belonged to one of the founding fathers of the then African Native National Congress (SANNC), which later became the African National Congress. Thomas Mapikela’s house went on to be the party’s headquarters after its official formation at the not so far Waaihoek Wesleyan Church in the Bloemfontein central business district.


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