Corruption, state capture have eroded human rights - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his keynote address during the Human Rights Day commemoration to lament the impact of corruption in the public sector on people's rights.
“We are seeing many of these gains being eroded not only because of the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of global events far beyond our shores," he said in North West on Monday.
“It also because many of the people tasked with fulfilling the rights and aspirations of our people have shown they are not worthy of that responsibility.”
Ramaphosa said many people working in government institutions served themselves instead of the people.
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“Corruption and state capture has eroded human rights, it has weakened the institutions of the state, and it has undermined the rule of law.
"We have seen how corruption and incompetence have together had a devastating impact on the delivery of services, especially to society’s most vulnerable.”
According to Ramaphosa, corruption has forced South Africans to pay for services the state should provide.
“It is because of complacency and arrogance that many elderly citizens cannot receive the medical care they need, communities aren’t being properly protected from criminals, and children don’t have the textbooks they need.
“We cannot reduce poverty and inequality as long as public money is being plundered.”
