President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote speech at the Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Today also marks South Africa's 30th anniversary of democracy, with the first ever universal election held on April 27, 1994, marking the end of the apartheid state.
Freedom Day Celebration Gallery:
Image by GCIS
President Ramaphosa began his speech by saying: “On this day exactly 30 years ago, the bell of freedom rang in our great land. It rang in every city, every town, every village. It was heard in the vast expanses of the Kalahari, Karoo and Richtersveld, as well as in Komatipooto, Ermelo, Tsitsikamma, Bisho, Mtata, Ulundi, Durban and Manguzi on the west coast of South Africa. It's on the lake.
The sound of freedom rang out in Soweto, Sharpeville, Soshangube, Evaton, Boshabelo, Umlazi, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Mangan. The bell rang in Kliptown in 1955, where the People's Congress was held to set out a vision for a new, free South Africa. It rang out here in the Union Building, a symbol of power and oppression for more than 100 years. ”
Reflecting on the first democratic election, the president said he felt a sense of relief on that historic day.
30 years of reflection
The President also reflected on what the country has achieved since the dawn of democracy.
He says it took a lot of effort to right the injustices of the past.
“Our mission over the past 30 years has been to close the vast gaps in wealth and opportunity between this country's blacks and whites, men and women, urban and rural residents.
We did this not only to right past injustices, but also to maximize the potential of an economy in which everyone has a stake and everyone has the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. It's also to make it happen. ”
Freedom Day Celebration:
