This year’s commemoration concludes a year-long celebration of 30 years of Freedom and Democracy. It also provides South Africans from all walks of life a chance to reflect on what it was like to have lived under apartheid, as opposed to a democratic South Africa.

It not only marks a historic moment in the country’s democratic journey, but also serve as a reminder of the vision of the Freedom Charter, which declared: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.”

Premier Letsoha-Mathae will use the opportunity to reflect on the strides made since 1994 while addressing persistent local challenges raised by residents. These include the high rate of crime in the area, the backlog in site allocations, and the deteriorating condition of roads in Grassland and surrounding communities.

Freedom Day marks South Africa’s first democratic election held on 27 April 1994 — a turning point that ended decades of apartheid rule and ushered in a new era of constitutional democracy. On that day, South Africans of all races voted together for the first time, paving the way for the country’s first black President, Nelson Mandela, and a government based on the will of all the people.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend and engage actively in shaping the future of their community — in the same democratic spirit that defined 27 April 1994.

This year’s Freedom Month is celebrated under the theme “United in Resilience for The Defence of Our Freedom and Democracy”.