South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the country’s multicoloured flag.
“South Africa changed for ever.
The 1994 election changed South Africa from a country where black and other people of colour were denied most basic freedoms, not just the right to vote.
After apartheid fell, a constitution was adopted guaranteeing the rights of all South Africans no matter their race, religion, gender or sexuality.
More than 16 million South Africans – 25% of the country – rely on monthly welfare grants for survival.
South Africa is still the most unequal country in the world in terms of wealth distribution, according to the World Bank, with race a key factor.
In the week leading up to the anniversary, countless South Africans were asked what 30 years of freedom from apartheid meant to them.
It is also poignant that many South Africans who never experienced apartheid and are referred to as “Born Frees” are now old enough to vote.
With a ceremony in the nation’s capital that featured a 21-gun salute and the waving of the multicolored flag, South Africa commemorated 30 years since the end of apartheid and the beginning of its democracy.
However, there was a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the current government that overshadowed any celebration of the historic anniversary.
President Cyril Ramaphosa led the assembly as head of state inside a large white tent situated in the Pretoria government buildings’ gardens.
Moreover, he addressed the audience in his capacity as the head of the African National Congress party, which is largely recognized for having freed the country’s black populace from the racist oppressive system that rendered it a laughingstock for almost fifty years.
Since the vote that officially put an end to apartheid on April 27, 1994, in a democratic, all-race election, the African National Congress (ANC) has been in power.
This year’s Freedom Day celebration, however, took place against a poignant backdrop: polls and analysts indicate that the party led by Nelson Mandela is expected to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time due to the party’s declining popularity, and next month’s election may be the most significant since 1994 as a new generation of South Africans voices their opinions.
In a speech centered on the nostalgia of 1994—the year that black people were finally given the right to vote, the ANC—which had previously been banned—as well as Mandela’s election as the nation’s first black president, Ramaphosa declared, “Few days in the life of our nation can compare to that day, when freedom was born.”. “South Africa underwent permanent change. It was a pivotal moment that reverberated throughout Africa and the world, marking a new chapter in our nation’s history.
The dignity of the entire South African population was restored on that day. “.
Standing in front of a banner bearing the word “Freedom,” the president acknowledged that extreme poverty and inequality remain South Africa’s primary concerns thirty years later. These issues will be crucial once more when millions of people cast ballots on May 29. Ramaphosa acknowledged that there had been “setbacks.”.
After the 1994 election, South Africa was no longer a place where people of color, including Black people, were denied access to most fundamental liberties, including the ability to vote. Laws regulated their employment opportunities, places of residence, and daily activities. Following the end of apartheid, a constitution was enacted that guaranteed the rights of every South African, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, color, or religion.
Millions of people’s lives have not, however, been considerably improved by this; South Africa’s black majority, comprising over 80% of the country’s 62 million inhabitants, is still primarily impacted by extreme poverty.
The official unemployment rate, which stands at 32% globally, is higher than 60% for young people aged 15 to 24. A quarter of a million South Africans, or over 16 million, depend on monthly welfare grants to survive.
According to the World Bank, racial disparities in wealth distribution continue to make South Africa the most unequal nation in the world.
Although it is still difficult to reverse the effects of apartheid, the African National Congress (ANC) is increasingly being held accountable for South Africa’s present woes.
Many South Africans were asked what 30 years of freedom from apartheid meant to them in the week before the anniversary. The prevailing reaction was that, although 1994 was a historic year, it is now eclipsed by South Africa’s 2024 unemployment, violent crime, corruption, and almost complete breakdown of essential services like water and electricity.
The fact that a large number of South Africans, known as “Born Frees,” who were not alive during apartheid, are now old enough to vote is also poignant.
A group of young black South Africans who support the Rise Mzansi political party and were born after 1994 wore T-shirts that read, “2024 is our 1994,” outside the tent where Ramaphosa spoke in front of mostly dignitaries and politicians. Their message was that, come election season next month, they were searching for an alternative to the ANC for their future.
Seth Mazibuko, a prominent anti-apartheid activist from the 1970s and an older Rise Mzansi supporter, stated, “They don’t know what happened before 1994.”.
Mazibuko said, “Let us agree that we messed up,” referring to the previous 30 years, which have had a direct impact on the youth behind him due to the second-worst youth unemployment rate in the world, behind Djibouti.
“Next month’s elections present a fresh opportunity,” he continued. “.
