MEC Mchunu leads Freedom Flame celebrations

From tomorrow (Saturday) until Tuesday next week, MEC for Transport, Community Safety & Liaison Mr Willies Mchunu will lead the ‘Freedom Flame’ programme in the Uthukela District as part of the provincial ’20 Years of Freedom and Democracy’ celebrations.

This follows last Monday’s official launch of the province’s celebrations programme by Premier Senzo Mchunu at the Nelson Mandela capture site in Howick. These celebrations will culminate in a provincial event to be held on Freedom Day, April 27. The Freedom Flame will crisscross the 11 districts of the province, underpinning the triumph of light over darkness in KwaZulu-Natal and covering the period before and during the early part of the 20 years of democracy since apartheid. The flame has already touched Umgungundlovu and is today (Friday) in Umzinyathi, after which it will be handed over to Uthukela District. Uthukela will then hand over the flame to Amajuba District.

A series of activities led by MECs, as well as district and local municipality mayors, have been lined up for when the flame arrives. Community members are expected to participate in large numbers, taking stock of the progress made to date in this country, as well as reaffirming their commitment to working towards a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, equal and prosperous South Africa. Among the activities lined up in Uthukela are stakeholder and citizen engagement meetings; the handover of houses; the opening of roads, bridges, clinics, community halls and parks; the commemoration of fallen heroes; a Nelson Mandela lecture; youth indabas; as well as a celebration of progress, freedom and democracy across the Umtshezi, Imbabazane, Okhahlamba (Bergville), Indaka and Emnambithi regions.