Key Highlights :
South Africa will be celebrating its 29th anniversary of freedom this Thursday. This is a historical day that marks the end of the brutal apartheid regime, and the promise of a better life for all. However, decades later, many still feel trapped by poverty, unemployment, and inequality. With corruption and fraud rampant, load shedding persistent, and gender pay gaps still the norm, it is difficult to find much to celebrate on Freedom Day.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will be addressing the nation at Manzilpark Stadium in Matlosana, North West, and he is called on to stop the rhetoric and start concretising his promises. Societal and socio-economic issues must be addressed in order for the country to be truly free.
The National School Nutrition Programme failed to deliver food to schools in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, leaving thousands of pupils hungry. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is plagued by corruption and fraud, denying thousands of students the opportunity to study. Load shedding is causing people to lose their jobs, livelihoods, and businesses. Gender-based violence is a scourge, and safety a luxury instead of a right. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening.
The youths, who were supposed to be hopeful, are drowning themselves in alcohol and drugs, while access to education continues to be a persistent problem. It is clear that the power of voting has not brought the opportunities it promised.
It is high time that the government takes action to address these issues in order to make South Africa a truly free nation. Until then, it is difficult to find much to celebrate on Freedom Day.