history essay about freedom day

What is Freedom Day in South Africa and Why Do We Celebrate It

Mar 8, 2021 | History and Politics

First published 24 April 2017. Updated 08 March 2021.

The 27th of April marks Freedom Day in South Africa.  Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa and is the celebration and commemoration of the long struggle for democracy in the country.

Here’s everything that you need to know about why we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa, the history behind the day and how you can celebrate the holiday.

Why do we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa?

Freedom Day is a day of respect and commemoration. Celebrated on the 27th of April each year, Freedom Day honours the anniversary of South Africa’s first non-racial election of 1994 and pays homage to the country’s liberation from Apartheid rule, where the minority exercised prejudice political power over the majority of the country.

Carry on reading to learn more.

The History of Freedom Day

Freedom Day is celebrated annually on the 27th of April in honour of the auspicious day in 1994 when the first non-racial election was held in the country. South Africa celebrates Freedom Day to mark the liberation of our country and its people from 300 years of colonialism, White minority domination, politically enforced prejudice and Apartheid.

Apartheid was officially implemented in South Africa in 1948; however, colonialism and oppression of the African majority had plagued various countries throughout the African continent since as early as the 1600s.

Under the brutal Apartheid rule, indigenous people of colour in South Africa were denied the right to vote and hence did not have a say in the political governing and running of the country. During Apartheid, the majority of South Africans were excluded from any form of political power or influence.

Freedom Day honours those who fought for our country’s liberation, and the many men and women who suffered through incarceration, bannings and torture on behalf of the oppressed during Apartheid.

The First Democratic Election of 1994

On Wednesday, 27 April 1994, the nation cast its vote in the first democratic election. For the first time, all races in the country were allowed to vote for a government of their choice. Nineteen political parties participated in the non-racial election, and 19.7 million people across the country voted.

The African National Congress (ANC) won the election with 62.65% of the vote, and the party’s frontman, the revered Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the country on the 10th of May. Contrary to fears of political violence, the election took place in a festive and celebratory atmosphere.

If you want to learn more about Nelson Mandela’s incarceration on Robben Island, where he spent 18 of his 27 year-long sentence, read more about our Robben Island Museum Tour .

5 Facts About Freedom Day in South Africa

Here’s a few interesting facts about Freedom Day in South Africa:

• The 1994 elections were the first non-racial elections in South Africa , where everyone over the age of 18 from any race was allowed to vote, including foreign citizens permanently resident in South Africa.
• The ANC won the 1994 election with 62.65 % of the vote. This was followed by the National Party (NP) with 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) with 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) with 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) with 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) with 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) with 0.5 %.
• Freedom Day was first celebrated in South Africa in 1995 and has since been celebrated annually on 27 April, honoring the day that changed the nation.
• Freedom Day is part of the twelve public holidays in South Africa .
• UnFreedom Day is an unofficial annual event coinciding with Freedom Day on 27 April. Started in 2005 by Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban, the aim of the day is to demonstrate how the poor are still not free in South Africa as well as to celebrate the growing strength of the movement’s struggle.

Ways to celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa

Celebrating Freedom Day in South Africa is all about commemorating the country’s history and the start of democracy. A great way to celebrate this day is by doing something that reminds you of the struggle that many South African’s fought to get to that important day in 1994.

Here are few ways that you can honour the struggle to democracy in South Africa:

• Visit Robben Island : The island off the coast of Cape Town that is famed for its detention of many political prisoners during the anti-apartheid struggle, including Nelson Mandela.
• Visit Iziko Museums : Iziko Museums of South Africa offer free entry to selected museums on certain commemorative days, including Freedom Day. There are various museums across the country.
• Visit the Apartheid Museum and Soweto : Discover the history of the iconic township of Soweto along with a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Note that the Apartheid Museum is currently closed due to COVID-19, keep an eye out for their reopening.
• Visit the Nelson Mandela Capture site : Located just outside Howick, this site is an interactive area where you can walk through the journey of Nelson Mandela as well as see the iconic sculpture of Madiba’s face.
• Read one of the many books about South Africa’s history, including Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom .  

To take it further, you can walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela in a 13-day tour of South Africa .

Walk in the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela

Discover the inspiring story of global icon, Nobel Peace Prize winner, freedom fighter and the late former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela on a comprehensive 13-day tour that takes travellers through an inspiring journey of Tata Madiba’s life.

Learn about Madiba’s childhood, his law career, Umkhonto weSizwe, his arrest and release. Discover how one man’s unwavering dedication to a democratic South Africa led an entire nation to live in a new state of liberation.

Beginning in Johannesburg and ending in Cape Town, the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela Tour takes guests across South Africa to visit various historical museums, monuments and significant points of interest that are relevant to Mandela’s life. At each point, travellers will gain a deeper understanding of South Africa’s struggle and the inspiring story of Tata Madiba’s fight for freedom.  

Freedom Day is a special day for all South Africans to reflect on the painful struggles we’ve overcome as a country, as well as to honour the students, teachers, political leaders and everyday people who lost their lives in the fight for a democratic South Africa.

If you have any questions about Freedom Day or the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela Tour , feel free to share them in the comments section below. We love receiving your feedback.

Read about the other important public holidays in South Africa:

• Learn about Human Rights Day and why we celebrate it on March 21
• Learn the story of the Soweto Uprising and why we celebrate Youth Day on 16 June
• Learn about the Union Building protests and why we celebrate Women’s Day on August 9th
• Learn about National Heritage Day
• While not a public holiday, here’s how you can celebrate Mandela Day on 18 July

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I would have loved to be able to download this information for educational purposes.

Correction in my name: Moira Wentzel instead of Moiran Wentzel. My apologies for the typo.

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What transpired freedom day

It was the instigation of the end of apartheid

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National Freedom Day

By Charlene Mires

Created in 1942 by a Philadelphian born in slavery, the annual National Freedom Day commemoration each February 1 calls attention to the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which ended slavery, and the continuing struggle for African American justice and equality.

National Freedom Day began in the early months of U.S. involvement in World War II . Upon hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) speak of the Four Freedoms , Richard R. Wright Sr. (1855-1947) wrote in the Philadelphia Tribune that Americans would not be free until everyone, including African Americans, shared fully in those freedoms.  Born into slavery in Georgia, Wright had moved to Philadelphia in 1921 following a long career as an educator, including the presidency of the State College of Industry for Colored Youth and Mechanic Arts in Savannah. Also well known as a political activist and journalist, he was among the thousands of African Americans who migrated north during and following World War I.  After joining several of his children in Philadelphia, including Richard R. Wright Jr. (1878-1967), later Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church , he co-founded the Citizens and Southern Bank and Trust Company at Nineteenth and South Streets.

Wright had a longstanding interest in commemoration, including involvement in the fiftieth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, a “Seventieth Anniversary Celebration of Negro Progress” in 1933, and creation of the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors (initially in Fairmount Park, later moved to Logan Circle). For National Freedom Day, he selected February 1 because it was the date when President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) signed the Congressional resolution proposing the Thirteenth Amendment. Promoted vigorously and nationally by Wright until his death in 1947, the earliest observances of National Freedom Day included parades and gatherings of delegates from around the nation at Independence Hall and Congress Hall . Such prominent speakers as Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) stressed harmony and good will while also calling attention to issues such as political participation and economic opportunity for African Americans. A consistent feature of the commemoration has been the laying of a wreath at the Liberty Bell .

National Holiday in 1949

Resonating with national and global concerns for freedom and civil rights in the early years of the Cold War, National Freedom Day became a national holiday in 1949 by proclamation of President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). Over time, however, the observance became more local, including the wreath-laying at the Liberty Bell, a banquet, scholarships awarded by the National Freedom Day Association, and observances by pupils at Richard R. Wright School, Twenty-Seventh and Dauphin Streets. Despite the continuing efforts of dedicated Philadelphians, National Freedom Day garnered less attention than Black History Month (observed in February since 1926), Martin Luther King Day (the third Monday in January), and Juneteenth (June 19), which commemorates the end of slavery on the date in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas.

In the twenty-first century, however, National Freedom Day gained increased visibility on the Internet as creators of Web sites posted and expanded upon lists of federally recognized holidays. In 2010, President Barack Obama (b. 1961) directed new attention to the Philadelphia-born event and linked it to a global cause when he designated the month of January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month , culminating with February 1 – National Freedom Day.

Charlene Mires is the author of Independence Hall in American Memory (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002) and Professor of History at Rutgers-Camden. (Author information current at time of publication.)

Copyright 2012, Rutgers University

National Freedom Day, 1964

Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

National Freedom Day is observed each year at the Liberty Bell, located inside Independence Hall at the time of this photograph in 1964.

Related Topics

• Philadelphia and the Nation
• Cradle of Liberty

Time Periods

• Twenty-First Century
• Twentieth Century after 1945
• Twentieth Century to 1945
• Center City Philadelphia
• Civil Rights (African American)
• Freedom Train
• Armstrong Association of Philadelphia
• Slavery and the Slave Trade
• Abolitionism
• World War II
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Pennsylvania Emancipation Exposition (1913)
• Liberty Bell
• Memorial Day

Related Reading

Kachun, Mitch. “‘A Beacon to Oppressed Peoples Everywhere’: Major Richard R. Wright Sr., National Freedom Day, and the Rhetoric of Freedom in the 1940s.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 128, No. 3 (July 2004): 279-306. ( PDF )

Kachun, Mitch. Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915. Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, 2006.

Mires, Charlene.  “The Difference This Day Makes.” Pennsylvania Heritage (Winter 1998), 4-11.

Wiggins, Williams H.  O Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1987.

Related Collections

• Papers of Governor Edward Martin Pennsylvania State Archives Harrisburg, Pa.
• R.R. Wright Family Collection Moorland-Springarn Research Center Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Related Places

Historical Marker , Citizens and Southern Bank, Nineteenth and South Streets, Philadelphia.

Liberty Bell Center , Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia.

Backgrounders

Connecting Headlines with History

• Juneteenth festival in Germantown celebrates the area's rich role in abolishing slavery (WHYY, June 22, 2015)
• Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Library of Congress)
• National Freedom Day Proclamation (The American Presidency Project)
• The Life and Times of Richard Robert Wright Sr. and the National Freedom Day Association (Library of Congress)
• Richard R. Wright Sr. (The Black Past)
• Podcast: The Legacy of the Thirteenth Amendment (National Constitution Center)

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Center for the Humanities

On juneteenth: the essential story of “freedom day” and its importance to american history.

Annette Gordon-Reed

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared more than three million enslaved people living in the Confederate States to be free. It was not until June 19, 1865, however, that Union Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas with the news. Since then Juneteenth has been celebrated on June 19 in Texas and many other states to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people, but it was not until 2021 that Congress recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday. In this talk, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed will discuss her recent book, On Juneteenth , a blend of memoir and history that explores the violence and oppression that preceded and followed this celebration, what it means to us now, and how it relates to our larger fight for equality.

Annette Gordon-Reed is a Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School, and the award-winning author of six books. Her latest book,  On Juneteenth , sets out to capture the integral importance of the holiday to American history. 

Professor Gordon-Reed is also the author of  The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family , which won the Pulitzer Prize in history and the National Book Award for nonfiction—along with fourteen other awards. It explores the inconsistencies of Jefferson’s stance on slavery and his relationship with enslaved woman Sally Hemings, and has been called “the best study of a slave family ever written” by noted Jefferson scholar Joseph Ellis. Her other books include Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy —a rich examination of scholarly writing on the relationships between Jefferson and Hemings, which exposes the possibility that scholars were misguided by their own biases and may even have contorted evidence to preserve their preexisting opinions of Jefferson. Her other book,  “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs”: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination , presents a provocative character study of Jefferson that challenges much of the scholarly status quo on his portrayal throughout history. Her upcoming title,  A Jefferson Reader on Race , is set to be published in 2022.

Professor Gordon-Reed’s honors include the National Humanities Medal (awarded by President Barack Obama), a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a MacArthur Fellowship. She was also elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2019, she was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society.

Click here for photos of the 2021-22 Spring Humanities Festival.

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Freedom Day: 27 April

Freedom Day on 27 April is an annual celebration of South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. 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 Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution.  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 return of exiles and the formal all party negotiations which drafted an interim constitution.

The moment which changed the path of South African history came after 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 engaged in these talks.

 The 1994 election paved the way towards a new democratic dispensation and a new constitution for the country. The elections took place in a peaceful and festive atmosphere, though there were threats of political violence.

Of South Africa’s 22, 7 million eligible voters, 19.7 million voted in the 1994 national election. The election was won by the ANC with 62.65 % of the vote. The National Party (NP) received 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) 0.5 %. Although the ANC gained a majority vote, they formed the Government of National Unity, headed by the president of the ANC’s Nelson Mandela who became the first democratically elected President of the country.

Speaking at the first anniversary of South Africa’s non-racial elections President Mandela said; “As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1995, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future. The birth of our South African nation has, like any other, passed through a long and often painful process. The ultimate goal of a better life has yet to be realised. On this day, you, the people, took your destiny into your own hands. You decided that nothing would prevent you from exercising your hard-won right to elect a government of your choice. Your patience, your discipline, your single-minded purposefulness have become a legend throughout the world...”

At Freedom Day celebrations in 2008 Thabo Mbeki delivered his last speech as South Africa President: “The brutalities of the past - detentions without trial, disappearances of our people, deaths in detentions, hangings of those opposed to apartheid, imprisonment, exile, massacres, assassinations, forced removals, banishments, the Group Areas Act and many more laws that made the lives of black people unbearable - are testimonies that our freedom was never free. Although today we walk tall because our collective efforts culminated in the 27th of April being our Freedom Day, we all still carry scars that remind us that our freedom that is at times taken for granted, was never free...”

In 2009 the acting President, Kgalema Motlanthe (who took over from Mbeki) maintained “I am equally honoured to celebrate this important day on our National Calendar in the province of KwaZulu Natal. For it is also here in this beautiful land of our forefathers that the struggle for liberation was fought by generations of heroes and heroines - fearless warriors, brave students, determined workers, powerful men and women, who believed that it was their mission to bring us our freedom. And fear of death itself would not stop them. This movement took on greater strength as new generations joined them. Their only purpose was that the next generation would live to taste the fruits of freedom...”

During the 16th anniversary of Freedom Day celebrations held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria prior to  the FIFA 2010 World Cup , President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to  the brave activists that played a role in South Africa’s liberation: “On this day we remember all the brave men and women whose struggle and sacrifices made it possible for us to enjoy the benefits of democracy today. It is a day to reflect on how far we have advanced in building a new, united and democratic nation. Importantly, it is also a time to consider the extent to which the freedoms articulated in our Bill of Rights find expression in the daily lives of our people. From the ruins of a racially polarised order, we have built a nation driven by a strong commitment to the values of justice and equality. As taught by our icon President Nelson Mandela, we must remain steadfast in our determination that never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another...”

Since political freedom in 1994 South Africans have strove to correct the wrongs of the past. We are still faced with a number of challenges such as crime, poverty, unemployment, racism and sexism amongst others. Freedom Day affords South Africans the opportunity to make a pledge towards fighting against the legacy of racism and economic inequality as well as renewing their loyalty to their country and their commitment to its future.

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National Freedom Day

Posted by anna khomina on wednesday, 02/01/2017.

National Freedom Day commemorates the date on which President Abraham Lincoln signed a congressional resolution proposing a Thirteenth Amendment—February 1, 1865. The amendment, ratified by the states on December 6 of that year, permanently abolished slavery in America. The road to abolishing slavery in America was a long and arduous one. In commemoration of the day, click the icons below to read about some of the men and women who contributed to the abolitionist movement: 

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What is Juneteenth? The history and meaning behind the holiday

Juneteenth marks one of the most important moments in American history: the end of slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed 250,000 enslaved people across the state that they were free — two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

Though the Civil War was nearing its end, Confederate troops still held much of Texas, and the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t enforced until the Union Army took control of the state. 

Since then, June 19 has been celebrated as a day of freedom and remembrance. Texas was the first state to designate Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1890.

However, Juneteenth wasn't recognized as a federal holiday until over 150 years after the date.

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021, officially making June 19 a federal holiday .

“Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day of profound — in my view — profound weight and profound power,” Biden said in a speech before signing the bill into law.

Today, Americans celebrate this important holiday by attending parades, spending time with friends and family , serving  Juneteenth-inspired recipes and reflecting on the true meaning of freedom.

Here's what you should know about the meaning of Juneteenth and the history of the holiday.

When is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is an annual celebration that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day many enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed.

This year, Juneteenth falls on Wednesday, June 19. Many government buildings will be closed and many Americans will have the day off from work. When Juneteenth falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be an observed legal holiday.

What is Juneteenth?

President Lincoln signed  the Emancipation Proclamation  on Jan. 1, 1863, announcing that those who were enslaved “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,” but the proclamation wasn't immediately enforced in secessionist states like Texas, which had left the Union and joined the Confederacy during the Civil War.

It took another two years for the news to go into effect in Texas. The Civil War ended in April 1865 and two months later, on June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army issued  General Order No. 3  in Galveston, Texas, with Granger saying, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

Slavery was formally abolished after Congress ratified  the 13th Amendment  to the U.S. Constitution nearly six months later, on Dec. 6, 1865. Freed slaves marked June 19 the following year, kicking off the first celebration of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is also known as Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Juneteenth Independence Day or Juneteenth National Freedom Day.

Why is it called Juneteenth?

Juneteenth gets it name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Granger told enslaved people in Texas that they were finally free.

The history and meaning behind Juneteenth

Texas was the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday. The late Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, a Democratic congressman, wrote and sponsored a bill calling for “Emancipation Day in Texas” to be recognized as a “legal holiday.” He filed  Bill 1016  in February 1979 and it passed in the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate the following May. Texas Republican Gov. William Clements signed the bill in June 1979 and the bill officially went into effect on Jan. 1, 1980.

Just days before Juneteenth in 2021, Biden signed a bill to recognize Juneteenth as the 11th federal holiday, making it the first new federal holiday since 1983 when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created.

"Juneteenth marks both a long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and the promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day, in my view, of profound weight and profound power. A day in which we remember the moral stain, terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take," Biden said during the signing ceremony .

Today, all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia, recognize Juneteenth as  “a holiday or observance.” In February 2022, South Dakota was the last state to recognize Juneteenth as a legal holiday following in Hawaii and North Dakota's footsteps.

How to celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth has grown from a national holiday into a global one with a variety of celebrations worldwide, including cookouts, festivals, marches, pageants, parades, picnics, rodeos, readings and vigils. Events commemorate  African American culture, achievements and food , while honoring a monumental change in American history.

Many universities and private companies have joined state governments in recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. The NFL  declared Juneteenth a league holiday  in 2020, following in the footsteps of companies like Nike and Twitter.

Learn more about Juneteenth

• 58 inspirational Juneteenth quotes that capture the true meaning of the holiday
• How to celebrate Juneteenth with family and friends
• What is closed on Juneteenth 2024? Here's a list

Yi-Jin Yu is an editor and reporter for TODAY Digital and leads digital coverage for Weekend TODAY on Saturday mornings. She is based in New York City.

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South Africa remembers an historic election every April 27, Freedom Day

The Associated Press

People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. South Africans celebrate "Freedom Day" every April 27. Denis Farrell/AP hide caption

People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. South Africans celebrate "Freedom Day" every April 27.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africans celebrate their "Freedom Day" every April 27, when they remember their country's pivotal first democratic election in 1994 that announced the official end of the racial segregation and oppression of apartheid.

Saturday is the 30th anniversary of that momentous vote, when millions of Black South Africans, young and old, decided their own futures for the first time, a fundamental right they had been denied by a white minority government.

The first all-race election saw the previously banned African National Congress party win overwhelmingly and made its leader, Nelson Mandela, the country's first Black president four years after he was released from prison.

Here's what you need to know about that iconic moment and a South Africa that's changing again 30 years on:

A turning point

The 1994 election was the culmination of a process that began four years earlier when F.W. de Klerk, the last apartheid-era president, shocked the world and his country by announcing that the ANC and other anti-apartheid parties would be unbanned.

Mandela, the face of the anti-apartheid movement, was released from prison nine days later, setting him on the road to becoming South Africa's first Black leader.

Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections. John Parkin/AP hide caption

Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections.

South Africa needed years to prepare and was still on a knife-edge in the months and weeks before the election because of ongoing political violence, but the vote — held over four days between April 26 and April 29 to accommodate the large numbers who turned out — went ahead successfully.

A country that had been shunned and sanctioned by the international community for decades because of apartheid emerged as a fully-fledged democracy.

Nearly 20 million South Africans of all races voted, compared with just 3 million white people in the last general election under apartheid in 1989.

Associated Press photographer Denis Farrell's iconic aerial photograph of people waiting patiently for hours in long, snaking queues in fields next to a school in the famed Johannesburg township of Soweto captured the determination of millions of Black South Africans to finally be counted. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

"South Africa's heroes are legend across the generations," Mandela said as he proclaimed victory. "But it is you, the people, who are our true heroes."

Apartheid falls

The ANC's election victory ensured that apartheid was finally dismantled and a new Constitution was drawn up and became South Africa's highest law, guaranteeing equality for everyone no matter their race, religion or sexuality.

Apartheid, which began in 1948 and lasted for nearly half-a-century, had oppressed Black and other non-white people through a series of race-based laws. Not only did the laws deny them a vote, they controlled where Black people lived, where they were allowed to go on any given day, what jobs they were allowed to hold and who they were allowed to marry.

30 years on

Current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — a protege of Mandela — will lead Saturday's 30th anniversary Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of government.

A crowd of people sing and give peace signs during a lunchtime peace march in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 27, 1994 ahead of the country's all race elections. Denis Farrell/AP hide caption

A crowd of people sing and give peace signs during a lunchtime peace march in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 27, 1994 ahead of the country's all race elections.

The ANC has been in government ever since 1994 and while it is still recognized for its central role in freeing South Africans, it is no longer celebrated in the same way as it was in the hope-filled aftermath of that election.

South Africa in 2024 has deep socio-economic problems, none more jarring than the widespread and severe poverty that still overwhelmingly affects the Black majority. The official unemployment rate is 32%, the highest in the world, while it's more than 60% for young people aged 15-24.

Millions of Black South Africans still live in neglected, impoverished townships and informal settlements on the fringes of cities in what many see as a betrayal of the heroes Mandela referred to. South Africa is still rated as one of the most unequal countries in the world.

The ANC is now largely being blamed for the lack of progress in improving the lives of so many South Africans, even if the damage of decades of apartheid wasn't going to be easy to undo.

An election poster, with President Cyril Ramaphosa atop a pole in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Themba Hadebe/AP hide caption

An election poster, with President Cyril Ramaphosa atop a pole in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024.

Another pivotal election?

The 30th anniversary of 1994 falls with another possibly pivotal election as a backdrop. South Africa will hold its seventh national vote since the end of apartheid on May 29, with all the opinion polls and analysts predicting that the ANC will lose its parliamentary majority in a new landmark.

The ANC is still expected to be the largest party and will likely have to enter into complicated coalitions with smaller parties to remain part of the government, but the overriding picture that is expected is that more South Africans will vote for other parties in a national election for the first time in their democracy.

South Africans still cherish the memory of Mandela and the elusive freedom and prosperity he spoke about in 1994. But the majority of them now appear ready to look beyond the ANC to attain it.

• Nelson Mandela
• South Africa
• freedom day