Public interest legal services organisations have used the law as a vehicle for change, ensuring that the voices of everyday South Africans are reflected in the policies that affect their daily lives.

However, despite their importance, the work of these organisations has increasingly become contested or perceived as a threat. They and the movements they support bear the brunt of the hostility from both the state and some sectors of society.

For years, 16-year-old Akhona Ndlela has walked more than 12km daily along unsafe gravel roads to reach her school in the rural Eastern Cape. Her grandmother, who relies on an old-age grant, must often choose between putting food on the table or paying to use a neighbour's car during the rainy season.

Although human rights such as the right to education and food exist on paper, they are often difficult to claim in practice. As we observe Human Rights Day internationally under the theme "Human Rights, our Everyday Essentials", we reflect on the origin of this day, its application to the South African context, and the role of public interest legal services organisations in helping individuals and communities claim their rights.

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A milestone in the modern story of human rights took place when the world, reeling from the horrors of World War 2, in 1948 adopted the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is observed annually on Human Rights Day. Nations collectively declared that every human being has inherent dignity and the rights to work, housing, equality, and to participate in the life of their community, among others.

In that same year, South Africa took a different...