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South Africa: Young, Old Celebrate Freedom Day At Union Buildings
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BuaNews (Tshwane)
27 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Edwin Tshivhidzo
Pretoria
Both young and old converged at the Union Buildings in Pretoria in large numbers to celebrate the country's hard-earned liberation on Freedom Day on Sunday.
About 100 buses from all over Gauteng ferried people to the Union Buildings. This year marks the 14th anniversary since South Africans took to the polls in the country's first democratic elections. Many excited people expressed their feelings about what Freedom Day meant to them and how it has changed their lives for the better.
Ella Maredi, 55, from Mpumalanga, told BuaNews that it is important to recognise and celebrate the day as it brought better lives to all those who were oppressed. "Freedom Day means we must be happy for the freedom we have earned so hard," she said. Although she acknowledged the good work government has been doing in improving the lives of the people, she was concerned about slow service delivery of houses.
Since 1994, South Africans and government have together been trying to realise the country's strategic goals which include eradicating poverty and defeating underdevelopment in every corner of the country. Tumiso Seetelo, 21, from Krugersdorp told BuaNews, to him Freedom Day means all South Africans must appreciate the good work government is doing in improving the lives of people for the better.
"Before 1994, we could not walk freely, people did not have houses and many were unemployed. "Although service delivery in some instances is very slow, people must appreciate what government has done," he said. By the end of the 1998 financial year, over 500 000 houses had been built or were under construction, and over a million people had been housed through the low-cost housing programme.
For Boitumelo Mokoena, 26, from Klerksdorp in the North West, freedom to her meant that young people now have the opportunity to take education. "Apartheid did not offer many educational opportunities for young people to study.
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"We are now free in a free country, everyone is free," she added. The large crowd gathered at the Union Buildings enjoyed music from local musicians. The event is organised by the Gauteng provincial government in partnership with the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Series of activities are planned for the fun filled day, which kicked off with a 5km fun run, exhibitions, cultural performances by local groups and entertainment by top South African performers including Ntando and Judith Sephuma.
Gauteng MECs including Executive Mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Gwen Ramakgopa, councillors and other dignitaries are expected to attend the event with the Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, who will deliver a keynote address. The 14th anniversary of Freedom Day highlights the strides South Africans have made towards accelerating a better life for all since democracy. When millions of South Africans voted in the country's first democratic election on 27 April 1994, they were exercising a right which had been won through heroism and sacrifice over years of struggle.
That milestone in the country's history opened the way for the creation of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa based on equality, dignity and respect for human rights.
Freedom for all?
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