MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Ndleleni Duma
Executive Mayor for Bojanala District Municipality, Mr Raymond Motsepe
Executive Mayor of Madibeng Local Municity, Ms Sophie Molokoane-Machaka
Director General of the North West, Ms Nana Magomola
Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS, Mr Lesetja Beetha
Traditional leaders
Councillors
Ladies and gentlemen

The North West province was once a Bantustan, a terrain of social exclusion and a landscape of tribal isolationism. Indeed this land we stand on today still echoes the remnants of apartheid, through the stubborn manifestation of poverty as well as the economic challenges that we daily battle against as a province and as a nation.

I think it is imperative for us to sternly remind ourselves of the painful road that was journeyed to freedom. As confirmed by the tapestry of the liberation movement, the journey to freedom echoes a history of bloodshed, of torture and of distorted identities under the atrocious oppression of apartheid terror.

History also confirms the effects of oppression on our nation, when it continually tells the tale of a people whose spirit was once battered and subjugated, was silently and overtly humiliated in order to erode even the slightest fragment of human willpower. This suppression was indeed not only physical, it was also spiritual. Steve Biko supported this once piercing reality when he stated that:

"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed."

By limiting access to education, access to economic opportunity was prevented. By denying our people the right to vote, they were forced to become spectators to a power hungry regime that used any force necessary to suppress the mind, the body and spirit of the subjugated masses.

Consequently, fathers, sons and daughters left the comfort of their homes setting out to fight against the fist of oppression, which relentlessly inflicted its hard-hitting blows of tyranny without shame or guilt.

The men and women I speak of knew that they might not live to see the dawning of freedom. Upon leaving, they knew that they might never see the beloved land of their birth again; they knew that the road they chose was the most difficult terrain ever travelled by the oppressed masses of South Africans. But they chose this road of suffering knowingly and willingly.

Those left behind were also not unaffected. They were left behind with questions, fears, uncertainties and broken lives. And today still many victims of oppression still remain and for many still, their wounds remain unhealed, un-remedied and a constant reminder of what they have lost.

They are still mourning the loved ones who were swallowed by the rage of apartheid terror in the fight for freedom. These are the people to whom freedom and the right to vote is not merely a democratic act. For them, it is an act that will infinitely remind them of the people they have lost to in an evil battle for justice.

What I describe here today, some of you may have experienced and some of you may not have experienced. But I must emphasise emphatically to everyone, that freedom day is not merely a holiday for leisure. It is not a day that should be disregarded.

Historically, it is a day that should vividly remind us of where we come from and what we have lost, so that we should never forget but rather appreciate what we have gained with particular focus on what the fundamental right to vote significantly means for our people.

But I also want to immediately caution our nation, that even when we reflect on our past so as to remain cognisant of our history, that this process should not be premised on the same spirit of disunity of the past we come from. This is a time to begin to collectively mobilise our energies to create a society that is tolerant and accepting of the diversity that characterises the identity of our nation today.

It is imperative to focus our energies on integrating our society in order to ensure that no one amongst us is socially dispossessed or made to feel that South Africa only belongs to a particular race, tribe or group of people. We must therefore strive to cultivate a new spirit of humanity within ourselves as individuals and collectively as communities and society at large. This we must do in order to ensure that we do not repeat the inclination of disunity that characterised apartheid governance.

Assuredly so, we must remain vigilantly cognisant that we are not trying to create conditions of reversed apartheid in the new South Africa. We are not trying to create conditions of isolationism, tribal conformity and colour based discrimination. We are not creating conditions to shun and reject those amongst us who once inherited ideologies that they had no part in formulating. We now live in a society governed by democratic laws and principles.

We are in an era of creating a new social order that is free of the discrimination and confinements of the past. The greatest gift that we can therefore give ourselves on this freedom day, is that of forgiveness and an acceptance of the other. By forgiving and accepting others who are different to ourselves, we are systematically rooting out the rage and resentment that keeps us from creating the non-racial and non-sexist society that was envisioned in the freedom charter.

By cultivating unity in diversity, we would be honouring the legacy of our forebears who fought for the people of South Africa to be afforded the opportunity to create a discrimination free society. Indeed this day also allows us to reflect on the works of our many unsung heroes and architects of freedom and democracy in South Africa.

As articulated in the 8 January 2008 statement, "during the course of this year, our country will mark a number of important milestones; anniversaries of events in our past that have helped determine the course of our struggle and that have helped define the kind of society we are building today. Among others, some of the significant milestones we will commemorate in 2008 include:

* The 90th anniversary of the formation of the Bantu Women's League of the ANC, an historical assertion of the central role of women in the struggle for liberation, and a seminal moment in the course of the struggle for women's emancipation.
* The 90th birthday of former ANC President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, an exceptional son of Africa who remains an inspiration and an example to millions in South Africa and around the world.
* The 60th anniversary of the formation of the ANC Women's League, which galvanised women within the ANC into an organised grouping capable of advancing the interests of women within the movement and society.
* The 50th anniversary of the Sekhukhune land revolt against 'Bantu Authorities', an act of defiance that served as a precursor to similar uprisings among the rural masses against apartheid impositions.
* The 50th anniversary of Zeerust anti-pass campaign, in which large numbers of women burned their pass books, actions which were met with severe repression;
* The 50th anniversary of the potato boycott, which drew attention to the harsh and repressive conditions under which farm labourers worked and lived."

It is against this backdrop and many other unknown battles that freedom day emerged. We must therefore remain continually cognisant of this history and many other events of historical significance as we celebrate today. For it is against this backdrop that a new chapter began we started to rewrite history, telling a new tale of a liberated people free to vote, free to roam freely where they wished to, free to be who and what they want to be, free to live anywhere and at last, free from legislated oppression.

A new era was called into existence and indeed history was made when on 27 April 1994, our people descended on polling stations across the country to make their first significant mark of freedom, casting their vote for the very first time. It was with great excitement that we entered a new era of freedom, when our people proudly took to the streets with a new sense of ownership of the land they were once alienated from. This is a day that represents an era when a spirit of light and awakening descended upon our people.

It was the day our system of governance underwent a process of rebirth and became a land governed by the precepts of democracy and freedom, the long awaited instrument of governance that many died for. Many of our architects of democracy died in other countries and perhaps to some of us standing here today, they are nameless, faceless and will remain unknown forever.

But we must remember and never forget, that our freedom today, provides adequate proof that indeed there was once an army of people, armed with ideologies of equality, armed with a consciousness for justice, armed with a fire in their belly to fight not only for themselves, but for all of us standing here today.

So in celebrating this day, let us pay tribute to the nameless, faceless and unknown compatriots who fought and died for us. Let us bent our thoughts today and imagine the brutality encountered and the anguish endured for freedom. Let this day evoke in our hearts and minds emotions of patriotism, nation building and unity as well as an embodiment of the values of our forebears who lived and died for justice and honour.

Former President Nelson Mandela is one of the few pioneering leaders from a generation of great leaders in country, who miraculously lived to see democracy dawn in South Africa. After casting his vote for the very first time in 1994 alongside millions of previously disenfranchised South Africans, former President Nelson Mandela set the tone for the unfolding trajectory of our country, articulating the reality of an era being birthed when he noted the following:

"This is for all South Africans, an unforgettable occasion. It is the realisation of hopes and dreams that we have cherished over decades. The dreams of South African which represents all South Africans. It is the beginning of a new era. We have moved from an era of pessimism, division, limited opportunities, turmoil and conflict. We are starting a new era of hope, reconciliation and nation building. We sincerely hope that by the mere casting of a vote the results will give hope to all South Africans and make all South Africans realise this is our country."

Today we celebrate the 14th anniversary of Freedom Day, which also highlights the strides that we have made in the advance towards accelerating the objective of a better life for all. After that historical day in 1994, many gains have been made. As history continues to unfold in South Africa, we must continue to be conscious of our role as citizens in the process to progressively change South Africa for the better. President Mbeki reiterated the responsibility of all sectors in our society when he said:

"As we celebrate freedom and democracy, we call upon all sectors of society to work together as we address the current challenges so that we "keep alive the dream that sustained us along the uncharted road towards the creation of South Africa visualised in our Constitution.

Today still, the artificial divisions created by the oppressive regime of the past, have become very real in our midst. Our inability to be fully united as a nation stems from the imposed identities and divisions of the past. The concept of unity in diversity hence still needs to be nurtured in order for us to build a more socially cohesive society.

When we reflect on divisions and racial tensions, we need not go too far. The Skielik murders and the turmoil caused at the Free State University and various other unnamed incidents, are symptomatic of a nation that still has to work hard towards unifying its people. The fact that the incidents were rejected by South Africans of all backgrounds should serve as indicators that we should never be tempted to cluster people and label them as racists.

Acts of racism are committed by very small groups and individuals and do not reflect the general attitude of our people. We need to build on this foundation and collectively continue to reject racism in all its forms. We should collectively remain vigilant in our responsibility as citizens to make South Africa more socially cohesive. We should not pass this responsibility on to government as an objective that only requires state intervention and control.

The national question on social cohesion is a social problem that requires a social response by a society collective. Making our society more socially cohesive I believe, is the responsibility of each individual citizen in our country. If we want to change our world, we must begin by first changing ourselves and the way we treat others.

We all know what our prejudices and intolerances are. We may not always rationally understand where they stem from and why they are so deeply rooted, but our moral consciousness always knows and recognizes its elements. No one can change our attitudes, beliefs and behaviours unless we oblige to such change. Indeed much has been said before about nation building and reconciliation.

But unless each person accepts the responsibility to change him or herself, we will continue to speak on platforms such as this with our words only falling on deaf ears. I believe that it is our collective responsibility to speed up the process to build a South Africa that is free from discrimination and racial prejudice.

Let us remember that 27 April in 1994 is the milestone in our history which opened the way for the creation of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa based on equality, dignity and respect for human rights. Our constitution and policies are all based on these values and principles where individuals and communities are free to practice their beliefs, traditions and cultures without fear. These are the fundamentals that we must steadfastly and relentlessly strive to achieve.

Today the progress of transformation can be measured in the dignity restored; in the broadening access to basic services previously denied to most; in the opening doors to education; the economic opportunities that have been created; and in the gathering pace of our country's economic growth that creates the resources for further advances in improving the lives of communities.

In conclusion, I want to categorically emphasise that our freedom is our most valuable possession in South Africa. It is the one value of human life that ensures that no man infringes upon the right of another to exist.

It ensures that no man ever owns another. It ensures fundamental rights that protect every human being irrespective of colour or creed. Let us therefore continue to break the shackles of bondage by respecting others and restoring the dignity of those who were once maligned and rejected. Let us all become instruments for social cohesion, in order to make our country a place we are all proud to call our home.

Steven Covey once said:

"Every human has four endowments self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom. The power to choose, to respond, to change."

Let each one of us use these four endowments to progressively change South Africa for the better.

Thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
27 April 2008