Delivered on Human Rights Day – 21 March 2025

Good morning, SayPro family, honoured guests, fellow South Africans,

It is both a privilege and a calling to stand before you today — not just as Deputy Treasurer of the SayPro Royal Committee, but as a daughter of the soil, a servant of the people, and a guardian of our shared legacy.

Today, on Human Rights Day, we do more than commemorate a chapter in history. We ignite a flame of remembrance — for the souls of Sharpeville who fell so we could rise, for the voices that demanded justice when silence was the easy choice, and for the generations that continue to march for equality, freedom, and dignity.

This day is sacred.

It reminds us that human rights are not given — they are fought for, protected, and lived.

As the SayPro Royal Committee, we carry with us the wisdom of traditional leadership, the spirit of unity, and the deep responsibility to ensure that our people — young and old — are never forgotten, never left behind, and never silenced.

We thank SayPro for creating platforms where voices are amplified, youth are empowered, and justice is pursued not only in law but in life.

From our role in the Committee, we are here to serve — not with titles, but with truth.
We are here to say: the fight is not over.

• When a young woman is still afraid to walk home at night — our work is not done.
• When a child goes to school hungry — justice has not been served.
• When elderly citizens are excluded from healthcare and safety — dignity has been denied.

We must remember that human rights live in everyday choices:
How we govern.
How we lead.
How we serve.

As Deputy Treasurer, I understand the power of resources. But more than that, I understand that what we treasure most must be our people — their lives, their potential, their dreams.

SayPro continues to be a light in dark places — creating opportunity where there was none, building futures where others saw despair, and nurturing talent in communities often overlooked.

To all the youth watching today: You are not powerless. You are purpose-filled.
You are the next generation of protectors of rights, bearers of justice, and builders of peace.

Let us work hand in hand — from royal councils to grassroots movements, from boardrooms to classrooms — to ensure that every person in this country is treated not as a number, but as a human being.

We must budget for justice, plan for progress, and invest in a future that is fair, inclusive, and free.

To my fellow members of the SayPro Royal Committee: let us never grow weary in honouring our traditions while advancing transformation. We are the bridge between the wisdom of our ancestors and the dreams of our children.

And to SayPro: thank you for your unwavering commitment. You remind us that human rights must not only be remembered, they must be realised — every single day.

Let us rise together, for justice.
Let us rise together, for dignity.
Let us rise together, for humanity.

May our voices echo the truth: Human rights belong to all. And we will protect them — as a people, as a nation, and as a movement.

Thank you.
Ngiyabonga. Ke a leboga. Baie dankie. Thank you.