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The African National Congress Youth League commemorates Human Rights Day by saluting the courageous, militant struggles of the people of South Africa who in 1960 in Sharpeville and across other parts of South Africa stood up against the apartheid regime. The people who fearlessly stood up against the repressive, racist apartheid regime in 1960 did so because they understood that rights of movement and association which they were demanding would open space for free political activity and subsequently freedom and right to access economic opportunities to live decent, sustainable livelihoods.

In this era of economic freedom struggle, the only meaning that should be given to genuine human rights is and should be economic freedom and rights. Human Rights in South Africa should fundamentally entail that all people have the right to decent employment and as the freedom charter says, have equal rights to trade where they choose, to manufacture and to enter all trades, crafts and professions. These rights can only be fully realised when all mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry are transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole and all other industry and trade controlled to assist the wellbeing of the people.

For the ANC Youth League, economic freedom and rights are the real human rights for the people of South Africa. All progressive forces have realised and accepted the reality that political freedom without economic power is meaningless, because our people remain in poverty and unemployed even when they have the right to vote. In commemorating and celebrating Human Rights Day, the ANC Youth League is concerned predominantly with the struggle for economic freedom in our lifetime. We will fight tirelessly, relentlessly and fearlessly to ensure that economic freedom is realised. We will stop at nothing until all Freedom Charter rights and freedoms are made practical reality.