All South Africans must be part of journey to freedom, says Cyril Ramaphosa

The task of national reconciliation embarked on in 1994 was as much about liberating white South Africans from the shackles of prejudice and fear as it was about freeing black South Africans from the indignity of apartheid. 

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, writing after the country’s celebrations of its 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections this past weekend.

In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said April 27 1994 was the day that changed the country forever.

“It was the day on which the country turned its back on apartheid. Beyond the great wrong that was apartheid, it was a system designed to deny people their dignity. This national humiliation and degradation ranged from bureaucratic pettiness such as whites-only benches, restaurants and beaches to the brute force that saw families torn apart and forcibly moved from their houses and land.”

The president recalled how people were tortured, imprisoned, exiled and killed, with “separate development” resulting in underdevelopment for the majority.

“As President Nelson Mandela once said, in the system of apartheid both the oppressed and the oppressor are robbed of their humanity. That is why the task of national reconciliation we embarked on in 1994 was as much about liberating white South Africans from the shackles of prejudice and fear as it was about freeing black South Africans from the indignity of apartheid.

“As we continuously strive towards nationhood, it is critical that all South Africans, be they white, black, Indian or coloured, remain part of this journey.”

Ramaphosa said South Africans should remember this matter, particularly during times of difficulty, when the temptation arises to retreat into laagers of ethnicity and race.

Democracy’s children

Despite the many challenges our country continues to experience, including the crisis of unemployment, the president said South Africans are pioneering, resourceful and resilient, often in the face of great odds. 

“Young South Africans, our nation’s future, are making their mark in the workplace, in arts, culture and music, in academia, in the high-growth tech and IT sectors, and in serving their communities,” he wrote

Ramaphosa also described them as politically astute and civically engaged, with 77% of new voters registered in preparation for the forthcoming elections being young people under the age of 29.

Ramaphosa said his gratitude is knowing they will never have to endure the humility and indignity of previous generations, of being forced to sit on separate park benches, dispossessed of their land, denied opportunities for advancement and of being pariahs in the land of their birth.

“In this Freedom Month, when we collectively reflect on how far we have come in building a new nation, we know we are not as far as we had hoped to be. While we have done much to undo the devastating legacy of apartheid, we have confronted other challenges from beyond our borders, such as the global financial crisis, and here at home,” Ramaphosa wrote.

“We maintain our resolve to move forward with optimism. We have come a long, long way. We are determined to go further to achieve the free, just and equal SA for which millions voted on Freedom Day 30 years ago.”

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