THE RAINBOW NATION is a name coined by Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to distinguish South Africa for its historical diversity of cultures, languages, and religious beliefs.
In its Constitution, eleven languages were adopted as official and obliges the Government of South Africa to protect and promote the rights of all people equally regardless of race, creed, sex, education or social position or any other direct or indirect way of discrimination:
It particularly stipulates in the Bill of Rights (Chapter 2) that:
EVERYONE is equal before the law and has the rights to equal protection and benefit of the law.
Equality includes the FULL and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.
The state may NOT unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
NOperson my unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds in terms of subsection (3) National legislation must be enacted to prevent or prohibit unfair discrimination.
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