Congress of the People (COPE) says there is nothing to celebrate with millions of South Africans trapped in poverty and school children dying in pit latrines after 29 years of freedom.
Today the country marks Freedom Day, the day when South Africans voted for the first time in an all-race election.
It also saw the country adopt, which is largely regarded as one of the best constitutions in the world.
But COPE spokesperson Dennis Boem says the dream of a better life has been deferred.
“Twenty-nine years later, the future looks bleak for all the people in the country. It is painful and shameful that children must still make use of pit toilets and drown into these death traps. It is totally disgusting that millions of people are still living in shacks. Worse, some children are still attending school under trees. For the vast majority of the people in the country, there is nothing to celebrate after twenty-nine years of this hard-fought democracy. The ANC government has let the people down.”
Freedom Day | President Ramaphosa to address the celebration in Klerksdorp:
Meanwhile, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will hold its Freedom Day rally in KwaMboma in Umhlabuyalingana in northern KwaZulu-Natal today.
The area has in the past been engulfed with cross border crimes including the hijackings of vehicles that are believed to be taken to Mozambique.
A number of crime fighting leaders have also been killed recently, including Juda Mthethwa of the Umhlabuyalinga Society Against Crime. Mthethwa was killed at his home in February this year.
IFP deputy president Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi is expected to address the rally.
