Human Rights in South Africa
The current human rights situation in South Africa is very grim. According to an article in Human Rights Watch (Mthathi, 2011), the former President of South Africa, Laurent Gbagbo, is not stepping down from his post to allow the new President Jacob Zuma to take over. Former President Gbagbo was a violent leader who led through intimidation and brutality. Even though he is no longer in power, he still has power over militant rebels who are going on a killing spree of certain cultures, especially those who appear Muslin. This culture is being killed needlessly at checkpoints set up by Gbagbo’s forces. Demonstrators who want peace are having grenades thrown at them. Women are being raped, and are made to watch as their husbands are murdered. Since the election, at least 296 have been killed, and over 100 have come missing.
Given this horrible situation, almost every stated human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (The universal declaration of human rights) is being violated. Examples are: Article one states that all human beings have free and equal rights and should treat one another as such. Gbagbo and his cohorts are not treating fellow Africans with any kind of dignity or giving them equal rights. Article 2 states that everyone is entitled to freedom, without regard to race, sex, religion, political origin, and so on. Article 3 states that no one shall be tortured or submitted to degrading punishment. Gbagbo and his forces are torturing people because of their culture, and this is a direct violation of their human rights.
My position on these violations of human rights is very clear. I am totally against what Laurent Gbagbo is doing in South Africa. I find it appalling that this kind of behavior still happens in a country that has, in recent years, become a global competitor in many facets. I would like to see President Zuma take control of this situation. I realize this will be a difficult task because of Gbagbo’s forces, but it will be
Given this horrible situation, almost every stated human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (The universal declaration of human rights) is being violated. Examples are: Article one states that all human beings have free and equal rights and should treat one another as such. Gbagbo and his cohorts are not treating fellow Africans with any kind of dignity or giving them equal rights. Article 2 states that everyone is entitled to freedom, without regard to race, sex, religion, political origin, and so on. Article 3 states that no one shall be tortured or submitted to degrading punishment. Gbagbo and his forces are torturing people because of their culture, and this is a direct violation of their human rights.
My position on these violations of human rights is very clear. I am totally against what Laurent Gbagbo is doing in South Africa. I find it appalling that this kind of behavior still happens in a country that has, in recent years, become a global competitor in many facets. I would like to see President Zuma take control of this situation. I realize this will be a difficult task because of Gbagbo’s forces, but it will be
Bibliography: Mthathi, S. (2011, February 22). President Zuma Should Be on the Side of Justice in Ivory Coast . Retrieved April 6, 2011, from Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/22/president-zuma-should-be-side-justice-ivory-coast The universal declaration of human rights. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2011, from United Nations: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/