The following Human Rights Day message is an extract from a speech to be delivered by DA Leader Helen Zille at the Ga-phaahla Stadium, Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga March 21 2011:

Your vote is your most precious right

Somebody once said that a society can be measured according to how it treats its weakest members. This is something we must think about as we celebrate Human Rights Day in South Africa.

What are we doing to help the poor and vulnerable in our society?

Last week, Trevor Manuel admitted that the government had failed to deliver to the poor. He is right. Too many of our people live in poverty - without a job, without a house, without clean water, without sanitation and without electricity. The conditions in which so many of our people live in are an affront to their dignity.

There are many people in powerful positions who disagree with Trevor Manuel. "Look at how much better South Africa is today than it was under apartheid", they say. Of course South Africa is a far better place today than it was under apartheid.

That has never been in doubt.

Under apartheid, some people were considered more important than others. People were treated differently because their skins were a different colour. Apartheid denied people the right to choose their government.

And it crushed people who dared to make a stand for their human rights. Fifty-one years ago today 69 people were killed at Sharpeville. A few days later, 20 people were killed in Langa for protesting against apartheid's pass laws.

We pay tribute to these men, women and children. They paid the ultimate price in the struggle for liberty, equality and dignity. We shall never forget them. Our job, as we go forward, is to find ways to redress apartheid's legacy.

This means ensuring that all our people have access to a decent healthcare, education and the prospect of a job.

It means delivering basic services such as clean water, sanitation and electricity so that people can live in dignity. If we don't do these things, the wounds of apartheid will never heal.

This is why we must not be satisfied that our country is better now than it was under apartheid. Because then we will not make progress. And our people will continue to feel the legacy of apartheid in their lives.

It is not enough to compare the South Africa of today to the South Africa of the past. We must compare the South Africa of today to the South Africa it can become tomorrow. And we have so much potential. There are so many things we could do differently to realise our hopes and dreams.

We could focus on growing our economy and creating jobs for all, instead of trying to appease vested interests. We could do whatever it takes to assist the poor and vulnerable, instead of whatever it takes to enrich ourselves and our friends.

We could focus on getting the basics of our education system right, so that every child can read, write and calculate when they finish school.

We could provide access to affordable and quality healthcare for all, not just those who can afford a medical aid. We could make the delivery of basic services our top priority at local government level so that people can live in dignity. We could do all of these things, they are all within our reach if we want them.

When the people rose up against the apartheid regime, they were saying enough is enough. They were making a stand. They were fighting for their rights. In a democracy, people already have rights. They have the right to express themselves freely. They have the right to a basic level of services, including healthcare, education and housing. If people don't think that the government is delivering these rights, they have a right to vote them out of power. That is why, out of all the rights that come with a democracy, none is more important than the right to vote.

Your vote is your power to make a change in your life. It is your power to make sure that your government delivers. It is up to you to make use of this right. If you do not claim your rights, nobody else will claim them for you.

It does not help to re-elect the same party in May and then join a protest march in August. By then it will be too late. You will have thrown away the power of your vote for another five years. On this Human Rights Day, and as we head towards a local government election, every South African should consider the power of their vote to affect real change.

Your vote is your ticket to better service delivery. It is your weapon against corruption. It is a stepping stone on the path to a better life for all. If you use it wisely on the 18 May you will be one step closer to the better life you were promised in 1994.

Issued by the Democratic Alliance, March 21 2011

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