By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
President Cyril Ramaphosa, delivered a freedom day address at the Dr Rantlai Molemela stadium in Bloemfontein for a government organised freedom day rally.
Ramaphosa noted that the Free State is regarded as the place where to fight for liberation first found its spark. He noted that the Free State was indeed where the ANC was formed in 1912 with the express purpose of overthrowing the Apartheid regime.
The year after the ANC was formed women from what was known at the time as the Orange Free State had initiated anti-pass protest campaigns which had begun to spread nationwide.
“Instead of being broken, the women of the Orange Free State became more determined because they would not accept a system that would deny them dignity and freedom. Today we celebrate that here in the Free State, the struggles that were waged by the women of the province and other parts of the country have succeeded.” said President Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa also took a moment to highlight the significance of the South African constitution regarding it as one of the most progressive and visionary constitutions in the world and that it brings a promise of freedom and also stands as a collective shield for South Africans.
“Dignity means that people must also be able to live free from the fear of violence and crime. To give greater effect to our freedom, we have dedicated greater resources and effort to tackling organised crime, gangsterism, Gender-based violence, and other forms of violent crime. We are reforming and strengthening the criminal justice system” said Ramaphosa in his address at the rally.
Ramaphosa also noted that his administration is embarking on a shift to universal access of education as over nine million learners are now benefitting from nutritional meals, which is seen as an effort to the government’s dedication to prioritising the youth and the future generation.
“In 32 years of our democracy, we have been governed by the rule of law with an independent judiciary that serves as a guardian of the rights of all. We have expanded access to housing, healthcare, to education, water and electricity on an unprecedented scale. We have transformed our education system, which was used as a weapon to perpetuate oppression, making sure that universal access to education was denied to the majority of our people” said Ramaphosa.
In Maboneng the youth forum known as “The Peace Summit” is a forum that highlights critical social and economic issues that hinder the growth of South Africa in order to formulate ideas on how to make the country better.
The Summit commemorated Freedom Day under the theme “A new way forward” in which the entire day was dedicated to deconstructing the meaning of the word “freedom” in South Africa and providing a vision board for what the youth would like South Africa to become.
A freedom day rally was held by the African National Congress in indanda, KwaZulu-Natal, where the first democratic President Nelson Mandela voted on 27 April 1994, was snubbed by the South African Communist Party (SACP) as they intend to contest the upcoming local elections against the ANC.
The ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula wrote letters to all members of the Alliance to choose between the SACP and the ANC a decision which was not taken lightly by the SACP who have accused the ANC of bullying.
Parliament’s presiding officers, which were led by Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, alongside the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane had joined South Africa in commemorating Freedom Day.
“This year holds added significance as South Africa marks 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution in 1996. More than a legal framework, the constitution embodies the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom, and affirms the rights of all who live in the Republic” they said.