On Saturday, 27 April 2024, South Africa will celebrate Freedom Day and we have all the details on how to tune into commemorations live.
How to watch 2024 Freedom Day celebrations live in South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead this year’s Freedom Day celebrations at a full-capacity gathering at the Union Buildings in Tshwane.
The president’s keynote address will kick off at 10:00 and you can watch it live right here:
NOTE: The live stream link will be embedded below as soon as it becomes available.
Why Freedom Day is celebrated in South Africa
On Saturday, 27 April 2024, South Africans celebrate Freedom Day in recognition of the country’s first non-racial democratic elections in 1994.
This day signifies the end of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule, and the establishment of a new democratic government led by Nelson Mandela and a new state governed by a new constitution.
The path towards the first non-racial elections resulted from long and tension-ridden negotiations held between 1991 and 1992.
The South African government, the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and other liberation movements were engaged in these talks.
The holding of the first non-racial elections 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 formal all-party negotiations which drafted an interim constitution.
The 1994 elections were a peaceful and festive event, although there were threats of political violence.
Of South Africa’s 22.7 million eligible voters, 19.7 million voted in the national election.
The ANC won the election with 62.65% of the vote. Although the ANC gained a majority vote, they formed the Government of National Unity, headed by the president of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, who became the first democratically elected president of the country.
Since political freedom in 1994, South Africa has strived to correct the wrongs of the past. However, the country still faces many challenges such as crime, poverty, unemployment, racism, and sexism, amongst others.
Freedom Day affords South Africans the opportunity to pledge to fight against the legacy of racism and economic inequality, as well as renew their loyalty to their country and their commitment to its future.