Post-Mandela SA’s challenges are making citizens impatient, says Ramaphosa
While addressing crowds from the balcony of Cape Town City Hall, the president reflected on the issues facing South Africa, as well as stories of Madiba's release 30 years ago.
President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks from the same spot on 11 February 2020 where former president Nelson Mandela made his first speech as a free man, after his release from prison on 11 February 1994. Picture: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was addressing the attendees of the 30-anniversary commemoration on the balcony of the Cape Town City Hall yesterday, said post-Mandela South Africa was at a decisive moment as a nation and was still facing challenges that needed to be addressed.
Some issues of concern included the bad state of the economy, high levels of unemployment, social ills that wreaked havoc in the communities, and the “shameful” killing of women and girls.
He mentioned the “stench” of corruption and abuse of public funds which had led to a lack of trust with citizens.
Ramaphosa said South Africans were confident that apartheid was finished on the day that Mandela was released from jail and that his release was their victory against apartheid.
On a lighter note, Ramaphosa then anecdotally recalled several moments during Mandela’s release from prison on 11 February 1990. One of those was when members of the welcoming committee lost Mandela’s car during a convoy to City Hall where Mandela was scheduled to address the crowds.
He said the committee members did not want the police and the army to be involved in Mandela’s release process. This was echoed by the former Mandela welcoming committee members in an earlier event held at the former Victor Verster Prison, where Mandela was imprisoned.
“On the day the Victor Verster gates opened and Mandela walked out, we did not want any policeman next to him because we feared that they might hurt him. This was a moment that brings a lot of words to express happiness, nothing could describe the moment when he first spoke to the crowd,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa remembered that Mandela walked and spoke like a president from the start. He said former President FW de Klerk did not release Mandela out of his kind heart, but did so due to pressure from the South Africans and the outside world.
“This is your victory,” he said.
South Africans knew that on the day of Mandela’s release that apartheid was “finished and klaar”.
“Our history tells us that we can overcome even the most intractable of problems only when we work together. The release of Madiba was achieved through united and sustained action. It was achieved by putting aside differences to pursue a common goal,” Ramaphosa said.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
