Respect for human rights is a central feature of democracy. They promote the democratic values of human dignity, freedom and equality before the law. The South African Bill of Rights is the cornerstone of our democracy, and outlines our rights.
Human rights protect us against the actions of those who exercise power over us and help to create a world in which we can all reach our full potential as human beings. We are entitled to have our human rights protected and promoted simply because we are human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. This means, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or any other status – we are all entitled to fundamental human rights.
