JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to lead the official National Freedom Day celebrations in the Eastern Cape today.
With the countdown to the elections fully underway, some south africans say there’s not much to celebrate.
As the country marks over two decades since the first democratic elections in 1994 – the commemorations are a call for reflection on the progress made since the end of the apartheid era. While government is at pains to explain how great strides have been made since the dawn of democracy, some South Africans are not convinced.“The youth doesn’t know the significance of Freedom Day, all we do is make plans to drink alcohol, get drunk and we have forgotten how important this day is.”
With soaring youth unemployment rates, sky-rocketing crime levels and signs of a struggling economy, politicians in the country have used this elections season to issue promises of better days to come. It remains to be seen however, whether these assurances will reignite optimism that was alive when South Africans first took to the polls on this day, 25 years ago.
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