Freedom Day, 1996

As the former chairman of the ANC and liberal rights extremist, I, Thabo Mbeki, have shed tears of joy and happiness on this morning of the ninth of May, in the year of 1996. It is the second year marking South Africa’s day of full fledged freedom and independence for all non-white civilians of our nation, blessing all with the gratification and luxury of voting rights, economic activity, and the rights to participate in political action. The gift of freedom to exercise these abilities has opened doors, given hope, and enabled all people of all ethnicities to feel important and vital. And so, today, our nation celebrates this event in history, marking it as Freedom Day of South Africa, and the liberation of our country.

For more than three centuries, this country was dominated by the white minority, as politics weren’t just controlled by this “superior race”, but our nation became economically and socially governed by the white man. Controversial to most situations, the majority of the nation, the blacks or Indians, were ruled by these white men, as now, once we look back upon these times we pledge, "Never again would a minority government impose itself on the majority.” Nor shall a majority take advantage of a minority either, as we, the people of South Africa, are expressed as “One people with one destiny,” therefore making it utterly crucial for our diverse backgrounds to strive towards a nation of common peace and understanding of one another. From this, we have learned to adapt to celebrating not just the freedom of all people in this nation, but to commemorate the efforts of those, especially remembering members of the unions and anti-apartheid groups such as the ANC and PAC, who fought relentlessly for liberation, risking imprisonment and torture.

However, with only two years passing of this day, there are still many acts of racism throughout our nation, on top of the unemployment and poverty citizens remain to face daily. Discriminatory acts upon women, children, the poor, the sick, the disabled, and most evidently, the black population still remain in tact today, as the word “freedom” has yet to fulfill the entire nation of South Africa. We must teach ourselves to not take the freedom for granted, but to honor the dedication and devotion showed during this long, difficult fight, and to remind ourselves that it will be as hard to maintain racial equality, as it was to initially gain it.

We, the people of South Africa, celebrate this day in honor of all people of our nation, not just those who were blessed with freedom on this day, but even those who have had independence for their entire lives, in that all our people enjoy these freedoms, developing a sense of daily liberty for all.



-Thabo Mbeki, May 9th, 1996