SayProCMR 2025 Human Rights Day Speech By Israel Bassie Medupe Non-Executive Member, SayPro Royal Committee

Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Family of SayPro, Elders, Leaders, Youth, and Partners,

I greet you all with deep respect and humility.

It is with great honour that I stand before you today, not only as a Non-Executive Member of the SayPro Royal Committee, but as a servant of the people — a voice guided by heritage, rooted in truth, and committed to justice.

Today, we gather to commemorate Human Rights Day. A day etched in the heart of our country. A day that reminds us of the blood, pain, and courage that brought us freedom. A day that calls us not only to remember — but to act.

On this day, we honour those who laid down their lives in Sharpeville. We honour the cries that echoed through time, demanding not just equality, but dignity. Demanding not just freedom, but the right to be seen, to belong, to thrive.

But Human Rights Day is not only about the past. It is a living call to action. A call to ensure that the rights of our people are not just written in law — but lived in reality.

As a Royal Committee Member, I come from a tradition where leadership is sacred. Where service is a duty. And where the wellbeing of the people stands above all else. It is in this spirit that I say: true freedom must feed the hungry, employ the jobless, educate the young, protect the vulnerable, and honour our women, elders, and children.

SayPro understands this deeply. That’s why this organisation is not waiting for change — it is building it. Village by village. Project by project. Voice by voice.

From skills training to youth empowerment, from digital inclusion to community development — SayPro is not only upholding human rights. It is activating them.

But we must do more.

We must defend the rights of those still living in silence.
We must restore the dignity of those forgotten.
We must raise the standard of leadership — so that justice is not delayed, and hope is not denied.

As a Royal voice within SayPro, I will continue to champion the intersection between culture, modern development, and justice. Because true transformation must honour where we come from — while building where we are going.

To the young person who feels powerless — I say: You are powerful.
To the mother struggling to feed her children — You are not alone.
To the community leader with no support — You are seen.

And to those of us with influence, access, and opportunity — I remind you: we carry a responsibility to lift others as we rise.

Let Human Rights Day not be a single commemoration — but a daily commitment.
Let us not only speak rights — but live them, defend them, and extend them to every corner of this country and beyond.

May SayPro continue to be a force for dignity, equity, and empowerment.
May we continue to walk together, with purpose, courage, and love for our people.

Thank you.
God bless SayPro. God bless our communities. God bless South Africa.

Israel Bassie Medupe
Non-Executive Member
SayPro Royal Committee