Freedom Day amid a pandemic: Here’s why it holds special significance
It’s Monday 27 April — Freedom Day. In most cases, we would be prepping for a braai with friends and family but this year has to be a bit different.
This year, due to a global pandemic and a nationwide lockdown, we are forced to celebrate in the confines of our own homes and spaces but despite the setback, the unity in the air is enough to match the time former president Nelson Mandela addressed the nation in 1994.
What does 27 April mean for South Africa?
Freedom Day on 27 April is an annual celebration of South Africa’s first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. According to SA History Online, it is significant because it marks the end of over three hundred years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Mandela.
The holding of the first non-racial elections — now 26 years ago — was the culmination of years of struggle and a negotiated settlement which led to the unbanning of the liberation organisations, the release of political prisoners and the return of exiles and the formal all-party negotiations which drafted an interim constitution.
Freedom Day amid a global pandemic
In order to curb the spread of COVID-19 and keep increasing numbers at bay, this year’s celebration of Freedom Day had to be different. Not being able to physically celebrate with those among you and do something as simple as giving someone a hug had the potential to put a damper on things but not this year.
South Africa has been under a hard lockdown for more than one month and although there have been a few hiccups regarding the sale of alcohol, cigarettes and hot food, there has mostly been a sense of unity and solidarity.
The pandemic affects us all, we know that much. Young and old, rich and poor, it doesn’t discriminate when it comes to race, religion or culture. For that very reason, it has been crucial for South Africans and the rest of the world to lean on and help each other through what has been a scary, unpredictable and difficult time.
Then we have a president like Cyril Ramaphosa — the perfect president for a pandemic. Ramaphosa, during a very arduous time, encouraged South Africans to remain positive, to stick together, to support one another and to stay strong. The famous words have always been; “we will overcome”.
The theme for this year’s Freedom Day is: “Solidarity and the triumph of the human spirit in challenging times”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
A group of Cuban doctors also arrived in South Africa on Monday, on Freedom Day to help curb the spread of the virus. If that isn’t solidarity, then we don’t know what is.
“It is fitting that on this day we should welcome Cuban health experts who have arrived in our country to support our efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Ramaphosa.
“Freedom Day has special significance this year. It comes at a time when COVID-19 is reminding us of how easy it is to take basic freedoms for granted. And it is testing our courage in ways that we have not faced before. Now more than ever we need to be inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Let us remember Madiba’s wise counsel that every generation is given an opportunity to be great. This moment could be just such an opportunity. May we rise to the challenge,” said CEO of The Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang.
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