Human Rights Day
Arnold Mushwana
Thulisile Shongwe
English
First paragraphs

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Human Rights Day is celebrated in South Africa on 21 March each year.
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This storybook is about the history and importance of this public holiday.
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During apartheid, Black South Africans were oppressed.
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People fought against apartheid and its unjust laws. They were fighting for freedom and equal rights.
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On 21 March every year, the country remembers its freedom fighters.
2
In 1960 on 21 March, people in Sharpeville and Langa went on marches.
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They were protesting the unjust laws of the apartheid government. They marched against the ‘pass law’.
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“Amandla! Ngawethu! Power to the people!” shouted the marchers.
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In Sharpeville, they were singing and marching peacefully to the police station.
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When the police saw the crowd of people, the police attacked the marchers.
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People ran, some were injured. Some lost their lives.
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21 March was first remembered as Sharpeville Day.
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The day was made a public holiday after the 1994 democratic election.
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The country remembers the people who fought for freedom. It is a way to say thank you to them.
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South Africa has a democratic Constitution. The people who wrote the new Constitution wanted everyone to respect human rights.
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The South African Constitution sets out the rights and duties of all who live there. Everyone has the same rights.
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Every year, 21 March is a public holiday. Offices and schools are closed.
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It is a day to celebrate human rights. It is a day to celebrate equality.
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People celebrate and honour this day in different ways.
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Children can celebrate this important day by talking about their rights as young people.
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Yes, children also have rights!
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Children’s rights are a special type of human rights, for people younger than 18 years old.
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All children have equal rights. Do you know your rights?
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“The right to be cared for,” says Ntombi.
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“The right to have a name!” shouts Nsuku
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“The right to live in my country, or any country,” says Shadrack.
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“The right to be safe,” says Melanie, at the back.
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“The right to education,” says Arnold.
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“The right NOT to be hurt or abused,” says Nhlayiselo.
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Those are some of the rights that all children have.
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We have rights and we also have duties. We have rights and responsibilities.
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What responsibilities do children have? “The duty to do my chores,” says Ann.
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“The responsibility to look after my body and brain and stay healthy,” says Nsuku.
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“The duty to treat others as we want others to treat us,” says Cheyeza.
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“The responsibility to do my best at school,” says Mixo.
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“The responsibility to respect the rights of others,” says Lerato.
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Every one of us has the responsibility to respect the rights of other people. All human beings are equal.
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Human Rights Day is about freedom and equality for all.
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——Questions


  1. Why is 21 March a public holiday in South Africa?
  2. What are human rights?
  3. Give three examples of children’s rights.
  4. Find out about South Africa’s Bill of Rights. Make a list of the rights.
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——Books in this series


  • Freedom Day
  • Heritage Day
  • Human Rights Day
  • Reconciliation Day
  • Women’s Day
  • Workers' Day
  • Youth Day
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This story was created and written in Xitsonga as part of the Zenex Ulwazi Lwethu reading materials project in 2020.
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Attribution CC BY
Your attribution should include the following:
Title: Human Rights Day
Author/s: Arnold Mushwana
Translator/s: Arnold Mushwana
Illustrator/s: Thulisile Shongwe
Assurer/s: African Storybook
Language: English

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CC BY includes the following elements:
 BY   – Credit must be given to the creator