Why do we have a public holiday today?
"As dawn ushered in this day, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation."
If you’re a South African, knowing what Freedom Day is all about is one of the Top 10 things you should know about your country.
The older generations might know, but for the younger generation – it was the day when every adult, no matter skin colour, background or income class, had the opportunity to vote in the country’s first-ever democratic election for the president of their choice.
Before 1994, only white people could vote, but with the efforts of the ANC and its presidential candidate, Nelson Mandela, on 27 April of that year, every person over the age of 18 could vote.
Wikipedia describes the elections as “The first non-racial national elections where everyone of voting age of over 18 from any race group, including foreign citizens permanently resident in South Africa, were allowed to vote”.
It is one of the 12 public holidays determined by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
On the first commemoration of the holiday, President Nelson Mandela addressed Parliament, saying:
“As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1994, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. And so we assemble here today, and in other parts of the country, to mark a historic day in the life of our nation.
Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future.”
What does freedom mean to you? Do you truly feel free? Let us know by sending an email to biancap@caxton.co.za or leaving a comment on our Facebook page.
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