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The pace of social and economic transformation must change for South Africa to have a more egalitarian society where all people have adequate access to health care, food, housing, water, social security and land, President Cyril Ramaposa said in his speech from the Freedom Day. “As long as this is delayed, freedom for some is freedom for none.”
Read the entire speech.
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON THE OCCASION OF FREEDOM DAY
April 27, 2020
South African colleagues,
Sanibonani Dumelang Inhlekani Molweni Lotjhani Ndi masiari. Goeie dag. Good afternoon.
On this day, twenty-six years ago, a new nation was born in Africa.
On April 27, 1994, South African men, women and children emerged from the dark valley of oppression to put themselves in the light of freedom.
When millions cast their votes for the first time, they boldly declared to the world that South Africa belongs to all who live in it.
The price of our freedom was paid by generations of patriots.
We pay tribute to the great leaders who resisted colonial rule and who fought for our liberation, both those who left us and those who still live.
We remember Chief Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Albertina Sisulu, Stephen Bantu Biko, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Charlotte Mannya Maxeke, Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Mam Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
We remember John Langalibalele Dube, Dr. AB Xuma, Sefako Mapogo Makgatho, ZR Mahabane, Josiah Gumede, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, King Cetswayo, King Hintsha, Makhanda, Sekhukhune, Makhado, Bambatha and the many brave leaders of the Khoi and San rebellions. .
They watered the tree of freedom so that we could enjoy its fruit and be under its shade today.
We honor his memory and the contribution of many ordinary compatriots whose names are unknown but whose sacrifices were just as great.
Our Constitution and the Charter of Liberty from which it is inspired, both begin with the words: “We the People”.
President #Ramaphosa: Our Constitution and #FreedomCharter where he gets his inspiration from, they both start with the words #We the People, an ever-present reminder that everything we have accomplished as a democracy and everything we hope to achieve is based on the will of the people. pic.twitter.com/Nv83Xl1l1m
– Presidency | South Africa ???? (@PresidencyZA) April 27, 2020
They are an ever-present reminder that everything we have accomplished as a young democracy and everything we hope to achieve is based on the will of the people.
Our Constitution is the defender of all who live in our great land, be they black or white, rich or poor, young or old, men or women, citizens or residents.
In the past 26 years we have made great progress in building a common future in which all South Africans participate.
We have been building houses, schools, hospitals, clinics, and universities.
We have been providing water, sanitation and electricity to many South Africans who have never had access to such services.
We have expanded access to health care and education.
We have been working hard to rebuild our economy and strengthen our institutions.
We have initiated job, internship and study opportunities for youth, helping them secure jobs or self-employment.
We have accelerated programs to give our people access to land, and we returned the land to those who were forcibly removed.
We support vulnerable families, parents, the elderly, people with disabilities and our veterans with social benefits.
Our young democracy has much to be proud of.
But the devastating legacy of our past is so deep that we have sometimes found ourselves wanting to address the suffering it has subjected our people to.
Poverty and inequality continue to haunt our land.
A child born to parents has a comfortable home, is fed and sheltered, receives a good education and has good prospects for a prosperous life.
For a poor child, each day of life can be a struggle for shelter, food and opportunity.
For such a child, his chances of finishing school, continuing to study, acquiring useful skills, and finding work are much less.
Even now, after all the progress we have made, the circumstances of one’s birth largely determine where and how we live, where we study, where we work and where we are cared for when we are sick.
It is the greatest form of injustice. It is a stain on our national consciousness.
The 1994 triumph was much more than being able to vote.
It was about correcting past mistakes, repair, restitution and restoration.
It was about leveling the playing field for the black boy and the white boy, and making sure everyone gets the same chance in life.
The promise we made on April 27, 1994 can no longer be deferred.
We must realize the right of all our people to health care, food, shelter, water, social security and land.
In this last decade of the National Development Plan, we must change the pace of social and economic transformation.
As a country, we are more than capable of building a more egalitarian society where these rights are realized.
As long as this is delayed, freedom for some is freedom for none.
On this Freedom Day, we are immersed in a struggle that has revealed the poverty and inequality that still define our society.
The coronavirus pandemic forces us to face this reality.
Although we certainly all face the same tide, this pandemic has not affected us in the same way.
Some people have been able to endure the closure of the coronavirus in a comfortable home with a fully stocked refrigerator, private health care, and online learning for their children.
For millions of people, this has been a month of misery, of breadwinners who do not work, of families struggling to survive, and of children going to bed and waking up hungry.
Therefore, the social relief measures announced last week that are now being implemented have to do both with reducing the chasm of inequality and with supporting vulnerable citizens in this difficult time.
With each passing day, this experience is teaching us a lot about ourselves, about our society and about our country.
We are learning about the limits of our resistance, about our relationships with others, and about our own nation.
The real lessons from this experience will not be just about the need for social distancing, proper hand washing, and infection control.
They will also discuss whether we have the capacity to turn this crisis into an opportunity to invest in a new society, a new consciousness and a new economy.
In this new society, the privileged cannot afford to close their eyes to the plight of the poor and sleep soundly at night.
This is the time when we must actively work to build a fair and equitable country.
In the South Africa we all love, no man, woman or child will go hungry, because they will have the means to earn an income, and our social assistance programs will be combined with efforts to enable communities to grow their own food.
In this new society, providing services to our people is the government’s top priority.
The public servant understands that they are just that: a servant of the people.
Public representatives put people’s interests before their own.
Before this pandemic was visited in our country, we were deepening our efforts to address poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment and a weak economy.
This pandemic could delay these efforts for many years.
It will take a lot of effort and resources for our society and our economy to recover.
The challenges we faced before this health emergency remain.
Even as we turn the tide of the coronavirus pandemic, we will still have to face a shrinking economy, unemployment, crime and corruption, a weakened state, and other pressing concerns.
We will have to find new, exceptional and innovative ways to overcome them.
This is not something that the government can do alone.
A # Freedom Day Message from US President Donald Trump to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Africans as they celebrate South Africa’s first multi-racial elections: https://t.co/tDbgkq4bbK pic.twitter.com/xWimUin7Ly
– Embassy of the United States SA (@USEmbassySA) April 27, 2020
The spirit of collaboration with which government, business, labor and civil society formations have worked to advance the national effort to combat the coronavirus is another affirmation of how far we have come.
Strong commitment, strong institutions, social compaction, and consensus building are all the fruits of the national democratic project that began in 1994.
The business community has been willing and ready to support the workforce and pool its resources to combat this disease.
The labor movement has worked with its partners in government and business not only to protect its members from the worst effects of this pandemic, but to defend the interests of the poor and unemployed.
Across society, NGOs, nonprofits, community agencies, religious communities, and individuals are working together to defend our people against this virus and its damaging economic and social effects.
In doing so, they have demonstrated the solidarity and compassion that is at the core of the ubuntu concept.
As President Nelson Mandela said: “Being free is not just getting rid of the chains, but living in a way that respects and improves the freedom of others.”
Respect for the rights of others is the beating heart of freedom.
Violating the coronavirus response arrangements and exposing others to life-threatening illness is the worst form of disrespect for others.
This pandemic has changed the face of humanity, not just our country.
It has reminded us of our own mortality, but also how interconnected we are.
If we didn’t realize it before, we all know it now: that our interdependence is key to our survival as a people.
This Freedom Day we stand together against this disease.
Let us also stand united against poverty, inequality and hunger.
We can only overcome this crisis and rebuild our shattered economy if we work together.
May the good that has arisen from this experience, of collective action and unity of purpose, continue.
Let the generosity of the spirit endure.
We owe it to the memories of those who preceded us to live the values they appreciated, empathy, compassion and solidarity.
As we are reminded of this Freedom Day, we have tasted much worse and we have prevailed.
Let’s keep our arms together in a defense column against this pandemic, a united people.
Let’s use this crisis to reaffirm our determination to fundamentally change our society.
Let’s get out of the coronavirus pandemic as a better country, a more egalitarian country.
This year, we celebrate Freedom Day apart, each of us confined to our homes.
Next year, through your determination, your courage, and your actions, we will celebrate Freedom Day together.
I wish you all a happy and, above all, a safe and peaceful Freedom Day.
Thank you.
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