On 27 April 2012, South Africa will be celebrating 18 years since the first democratic elections in 1994. Each year this date is celebrated as Freedom Day.The theme for the celebrations this year is:”Working Together to Build Unity and Prosperity for All”. TheDepartment of Arts and Cultureis tasked with leading the Freedom Day celebrations. The National Orders ceremony will also take place on the same day. The day is celebrated not only as a milestone, but also “as a reminder of the struggle for a free and fair South Africa”. Heroes and heroines who lost their lives fighting for democracy are also honoured on this day. The day seeks to encourage all South Africans “to participate in the commemoration of the pain and struggle to build a non-racial, democratic and free South Africa in which we all have the freedom to prosper.”
A day for all South Africans
Freedom Day marks the liberation of South Africa and its people from a period of colonialism and white minority domination – which means that we no longer have the situation in which political power is enjoyed and exercised by a minority of our population, to the exclusion of the majority. It is a day for all South Africans. When South Africa was liberated both the oppressor and oppressed were liberated. Freedom Day celebrations in 2012 will take place at theUnion Buildingsin Pretoria. This will be followed by the National Orders Ceremony at the Presidential guest house. The celebrations in 2012 will see a partnership between itself andThe City of Tshwanelaunch the Freedom Walk to the Union Buildings.
Meanwhile, addressing the media at theFreedom MonthLaunch in Mthathathe Eastern Cape earlier in the month, the Arts and Culture MEC, Xoliswa Tom, says the province should be proud of producing political icons like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo who persisted the chains of oppressions and segregation but continued to fight for the liberation of all. She says the families of 14 people from Bhaziya outside Mthatha who were hanged inPretoriain 1964 will be honoured on Freedom Day and a monument with their names erected. “When you look at freedom we are really free but our freedom was never free people had to die for our freedom they had to go to exile they were jailed and sentenced to many years. Economically we are not free yet but I think the work that has been done is working towards economic freedom and I believe that as it took years to attain political freedom it is going to take us time to attain economic freedom.”
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