The 23 years of democracy in South Africa, coincide not only with the 20 years of our constitution but with the 100 years since the birth of our foremost leader and revolutionary, OR Tambo. It also marks the commemoration of the 40th anniversary since the passing of Stephen Bantu Biko, the father of the Black Consciousness Movement.
The Northern Cape Premier, Ms Sylvia Lucas,
Deputy Minister of SMME's, Ms November,
MEC of Social Development, Gift van Staden,
MEC of Health, Lebogang Mothlaping
and District Mayor, Mr Louw
All of whom commemorated the Provincial Freedom Day event in Riemvasmaak (Vredesvallei) on 27 April where Premier delivered the key note address.
The Premier said:
"We have made significant progress in building a democratic nation founded on the values of human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism. We must resolve our differences in a peacefull manner. I implore our people not to break down and burn, there are amicable ways of resolving problems and we are all aiming to build a better South Africa.
Today, South Africa enjoys a free country, which was attained through the contribution of a number of the African Countries.
Our own late icon, President Oliver Tambo was accomodated for close to 30 years in Zambia and many other South Africans that lived in exile".
The theme for this year's Freedom Day was "The year of Oliver Reginald Tambo: Unite for Radical Socio-econimc Transformation".
Premier Lucas went on to say; "The government, the private sector and the rest of the South African communities should join hands in order to effectively address these challenges. While we remind ourselves of the harsh realities we inherited from the past we should equally acknowledge the instruments that we have put in place for development and human progress. South Africa, for the first time in 2012 developed and adopted long-term plan to address the remaining challenges.
The National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 was developed to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality, develop infrastructure, advance nation-building and social cohesion among other things."
By Moss Tyuthuza
