While we celebrated the dawn of democratic SA in 1994, then emerged the so-called human rights that is being misused or abused, mostly by people or organisations who use it for their own selfish gain.

A case in point is the Marikana issue. A lot of money was wasted in establishing that commission and the people who gained are the lawyers; they amassed millions while the families of the victims of that massacre got crumbs, If that money was shared among all the victims, life for them would have been better.

Today, there are talks around creating a holiday to mark that day, oblivious of the fact that the main onslaught started when security and police were first killed. The reason behind this is not far fetched, people with hidden agendas want to gain popularity at the expense of the victims.

Another kind of abuse of our democracy is flighting a programme on one of the TV channels talking about transgender women. As we celebrate Women's Month, these transgender women feel it is their democratic right to be celebrated too, for what?

Don't they fall under women who are being duly celebrated, perhaps I am missing something. I think we are taking this human rights out of context. I am afraid, being cynical, we will soon hear people calling for the celebration of the day the economy was brought to its knees by looters and the destruction of malls and factories. This country never ceases to amaze me.

Makgato Raletsatsi, Tzaneen