As a nation, this year, we are celebrating 32 years of Freedom Day, and while this is a significant piece of our history.
South Africa has a history filled with pain and struggles as it suffered for 46 years under the apartheid regime.
The institutionalised system of racial segregation and white minority rule was implemented by the National Party (NP) in 1948 and officially dismantled between 1991 and 1994, culminating in the first democratic elections on April 27, 1994.
ANC president Nelson Mandela smiles on April 27, 1994, as he casts his first vote at the polling station at John Langalibalele Dube’s Ohlange High School in Inanda, near Durban, in South Africa’s first democratic general elections. On his right is former minister Jeff Radebe.
What is Freedom Day?
Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the first democratic, non-racial elections held on April 27, 1994. South Africans continue to commemorate this day to celebrate their liberation from apartheid.
This was the first time in South African history that citizens of all races, 18 years and older, were permitted to vote and were treated as equal citizens.
The significance of Freedom Day also honours the first democratic election, in which Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa's president.
During the democratic elections, nearly 20 million South Africans cast their ballots, and ultimately, the African National Congress (ANC) won the election.
Freedom Day was first observed on April 27, 1995, and has since been treated as a day to reflect on the immense sacrifices made to achieve democracy, promote social cohesion, and address ongoing challenges.
There were snaking queues of South Africans eager to vote in a new government during the first democratic election in 1994.
Why celebrate Freedom Day?
Freedom Day is celebrated for various reasons, such as:
Marking the end of apartheid where over 300 years of colonialism and white minority rule.
Honouring the right to vote for all.
Remembering the struggles and sacrifices made by anti-apartheid stalwarts who fought for the nation to achieve a free and democratic society.
Celebrating unity and human dignity to affirm to all South Africans to move away from divisions, but rather promote social cohesion and uphold the human rights as entrenched in our constitution.
So, while this day marks a specific historical event, the broader meaning of this day is tied to identity, human rights, and the ongoing journey of a nation still moving forward after the wrongs of the past.
This article was originally posted by IOL
