By: Ayanda Kasule

With temperatures reaching a peak during midday, this certainly had no effect as huge numbers of students flocked to the Durban University of Technology, Steve Biko Campus, to commemorate Human Rights Day.

Event organizer, Jan Jordaan, Director for Art for Humanity (AFH) and lecturer at the DUT said, “It’s good we are doing this, just to inspire people because music communicates across all boundaries and it’s a tool to inspire human rights.”

Under the theme “Cultivate wareness about human rights and responsible citizen starting with the youth” this day surely lived up to it. Various speakers from different organisations used the stage as their platform to educate the youth on how to be on the forefront when addressing issues pertaining to human rights.

This was followed by thoughts on paper commonly known as  poetry where Nosipo Gcina and Fikile Mthembu from Mowat Park High School recited a poem which carried strong messages that intensified the atmosphere like “The truth exist but it’s less spoken”.

Amazed by the performance MC for the day, Zazi Nexel, praised the two performers and said, “Poetry speaks the truth which cannot be hidden.”

Project coordinator for Democracy Development Project (DDP), Nonthobeko Mbatha said, “DUT as a venue targets young people who need to understand their vote in a democracy going forward, this concert is saying to young people lets be part of the development from this day,” she said.

DUT together with DDP, OXFAMS, AFH, and Human Rights Commission made this day a victory of success. As a result there wasn’t a better way other than the sizzling live performance by the Epresso band that left the audience begging for more.