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Fifty years ago today 69 people were killed at Sharpeville, and 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. They will not be forgotten.

Sixteen years ago we began the transition from an authoritarian regime to a rights-based constitutional democracy. From the moment our Constitution was adopted, our job was to defend and advance the rights and freedoms contained in it.

This remains the task of every South African. As we celebrate Human Rights Day, we should reflect on the very real threats to our human rights and what we must do to counteract these threats.

Our constitutional rights are threatened by greed, cronyism, corruption and power abuse.

Our right to live free from fear is threatened by hate speech that incites violence and the government's hired thugs who think they are above the law.

These threats are not from outside forces and they have nothing to do with the legacy of the past. They are recent threats to our human rights. And they come from the ruling party itself.

Let us all take the decision today to reclaim the human rights that are gradually being eroded. Let us all remember that we will only succeed if we vigilantly defend and advance each other's rights. When it comes to human rights, an injury to one is an injury to all.

Reclaiming our human rights would be the most fitting tribute to those who lost their lives fifty years ago today.