By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) celebrated 70 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter on 26 June 1955 by the Congress of the people.
On that day, brave patriots assembled in a multiracial convention in Kliptown and adopted a document that remains the cornerstone to the founding of our Constitution and democracy.
The Constitution also informs the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024-2029, which seeks to advance an all-inclusive democracy, where all have equal opportunities to a better life.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address on the second day of the party’s 5th National General Council (NGC), currently underway at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
He has called on South Africans to take pride in the country’s democratic gains, noting that for the past three decades South Africa has consistently held free and fair elections.
Ramaphosa said that while the anniversary of the Charter should have taken place in June, the party decided to delay the event and only commemorate it after the G2O Summit.
He highlighted the significance of the Freedom Charter in shaping modern governance principles, including equality, human rights, and accountability. He emphasised that the upcoming elections will once again give citizens the opportunity to hold leaders accountable and strengthen democratic institutions.
The President further urged political parties and communities to work together to ensure peaceful campaigning and broad voter participation, saying that a thriving democracy depends on an active and engaged electorate.
Ramaphosa further noted that the ANC-led government has ensured that it leads free and fair elections over the past three decades, which indeed speaks to the party’s commitment to the ideals of the Freedom Charter.
The president stated that despite challenges in ensuring a better life for all, the ANC has ensured that many South Africans are living a quality of life that was not there before the advent of democracy. He indicated that the party is still committed to uplifting millions of South Africans who are living below the poverty line.
“Many of our people are living a quality of life that was not there before, but we want them to live even a much better life…Since the start of democracy, the country has held free and fair elections, and these elections continue to reflect the will of the people. This is not our declaration only, this is what those outside our country have observed,” he stated.
Furthermore, Ramaphosa said South Africa is the only country on the continent that affords its people free housing and free healthcare.
“The Freedom Charter says, there should be housing, security and comfort…Since the advent of democracy, we have substantially expanded basic housing, services such as electricity, water, and sanitation. More than 80% of households today live in formal houses,” he stated.