By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Human rights in South Africa remain largely a policy promise with little real-world impact, says independent political analyst Valerio Manzini.
Speaking this week during Human Rights Month, Manzini criticised government and political leaders for failing to translate constitutional ideals of freedom, dignity and equality into lived reality.
He said the gap between promises and delivery has widened since the dawn of democracy, blaming overambitious governance and poor implementation.
Manzini singled out the African National Congress (ANC) for positioning itself as the driver of both political freedom and socio-economic transformation, arguing this has fallen short in practice.
“Human rights have, at times, been used as political currency. On paper, the state has made progress, but rights are measured by lived experience — and for many South Africans, that experience tells a different story,” he said.
While acknowledging gains such as expanded access to education, widespread social grants and electrification of previously marginalised communities, he said these advances are undermined by systemic failures.
Corruption, mismanagement and limited state capacity, he added, have created a system where rights exist in law but are routinely denied in practice.
“The state is not dismantling rights; it is failing to realise them. South Africa does not lack vision; its constitutional framework is strong. What the country faces is a crisis of implementation,” Manzini said.
