"We appeal to parents and guardians to keep a watchful eye over them to ensure they are in a good place. We wish teachers, invigilators and markers all the strength they need to tackle the mammoth task at hand with all the zeal and fortitude that it requires"

"I just cannot understand how adults can go to school and prevent learners from receiving education"

"Learners are the future of this country and they should be given the chance to get education"

"It is my responsibility as the MEC to ensure that those vulnerable learners who are disabled are also given opportunities, like other learners, where they are exposed to sports"

"Our teachers’ commitment to improving their skills and enhancing the learning experience of our learners speaks volumes about their dedication"

"It is painful for parents to raise a child who, once grown, turns into a monster and kills them"

"Are we saying our own children working and studying abroad be killed in the foreign lands where they are outside their country of birth?"

"We are periodically reminded of our overarching duty to uphold human rights and endorse peace"

"Schools thrive when communities remain actively involved in their affairs"

"It is both a moral obligation and a patriotic duty to give back to the schools that shaped our formative years"

"when we change the life of a child, we change a nation"

"We cannot sit and watch our children perish in illegal substances when we can also develop them outside classroom walls by nurturing their talents through school sports"

"The success of South Africa’s economic growth strategy will be tested by the country’s ability to maintain its status as Africa’s largest economy"

"Inclusive growth must translate into more jobs, rising household incomes and improved wellbeing for all"

"From illicit finance to inclusive social protection, these agreements reflect not just what we stand for but what we stand to gain when we act together"

"IFFs remain a critical challenge for many countries, especially in developing and low-income countries"

"South Africa strongly supports the continued engagement of the Financial Action Task Force in identifying gaps and enhancing global cooperation and urges the G20 to adopt an even more development-centred approach"

"Fostering a performance-driven culture across the public service is not optional, but essential"

"These efforts are about more than just oversight. They are about improving outcomes where it matters most, at the point of contact between citizens and the state"

"South Africa is not without challenges, but it is through this kind of clear-eyed, system-wide reform that is grounded in planning, driven by data and accountable to the people that we can build a state that works"

"South Africa’s G20 Presidency is not just about convening meetings. It is about shifting the centre of gravity in global conversations and placing people and planet at the heart of development"

"For us to be able to mobilise resources domestically, we need to deal with the issues of tax evasion and any other things that impact the financial flow"

"Social protection must be seen not as charity, but as a cornerstone of development, through fostering economic vitality, societal unity, and gender parity"

"Only by shining light into these shadowy corners of the financial system can we hope to finance sustainable futures"

"Reimagine how the world responds to problems that ignore borders"

"We must remember that this nation is more than a composition of its challenges"

"Rather than being thrown into the depths of despair by the doubts that this moment raises, I charge us all to embrace doubt"

"When democracy was ushered in, it was never assumed that the road to the attainment of material freedom, justice and equality would be an easy path to traverse"

"Firstly, we must never forget the sacrifices made to forge our South African democracy and thus must never take for granted this reality."

"It is critically important to ensure that these discussions are not solely held in ivory towers of intellectualism and that they do not simply consist of elite factions of our society"

"My challenge to those responsible for public policy formulation and implementation is: do we display selflessness, diligence and dedication in the execution of our tasks?"

"Therefore, in a democratic era, I urge you to use democratic institutions available to us to voice our grievances and demands. This is our collective responsibility, as much as it is the responsibility of government to fast-track the creation of a better life for all."

"It is difficult to imagine that 16 years ago South Africa was regarded as a pariah state that was notorious for grotesque violations of human rights. Today our Constitution enjoins each and every one of us to strive for the creation of a non-racial, non-sexist, open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom."

"Let us pledge to show the world our abhorrence to the heinous acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance"

"Our democratic government undertakes to never ignore the plight of the poor, those without shelter, those without means to an education and those suffering from abuse and neglect"

"A key message from the Human Rights Day is that we should honour all our martyrs who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of the noble goals of freedom"

"We should listen to young people in Africa, they are Africa's greatest resource. ‘We should use their ideas, empower them with education, and invest heavily in young entrepreneurs"

"My grandmother had taught us to say goodbye when we went to the shop in town, because we never knew if we would come back or not. We use to say ‘If you don’t see me, check me at number four"

"Together we can do more to protect and make human rights real. Together we can do more to build a better future we can all be proud of as a nation united in its diversity."

"On this Human Rights Day, we should remember that a common ownership of our history is the basis of nation building and must never be undermined by any interest group based on the subjectivity of race, religion, class, gender or ideology"

"If I did it, you can do it too and work your way up towards reuniting with your families and playing a meaningful role in society"

"At the end of the day we go back to the trenches as women to see where it is we didn’t go right to ensure that we got more women."

"Look here I am today, a minister and have actively participated in the liberation of the country."

"But if you must know I myself got pregnant before the age of 16 and quickly got another baby when I was 16 and I disappointed my grandmother who was taking care of us through hardship."

"focus on education."

"The main reason why we keep pushing for women is that we believe as women we have the capacity and capability to be in a leadership position of the African National Congress."

"We want to see more women in the leadership structures."

"Women are not only victims, but also contributors. We raise angry boys. We are all equally guilty"