President Cyril Ramaphosa says many of the promises that were made in 1994 still need to be realised.
Speaking during the Freedom Day celebrations in North West on Thursday, Ramaphosa said although the country had made good progress, it still had a long way to go.
“On Freedom Day we recall the great progress that has been made in nearly three decades of democracy, but we also acknowledge that so much of the promise of 1994 still needs to be realised. It is on this occasion that we rededicate ourselves to work with greater purpose and unity to give full effect and meaning to freedom in our land,” he said.
Ramaphosa also lamented the rolling blackouts, promising that the country would secure its energy in future.
“We have to adapt to climate change. We have to grow our economy and create more jobs. We have to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence and act against crime. Freedom cannot be meaningful when South African homes and businesses are without electricity for several hours in the day. That is why we are using every means at our disposal to restore Eskom,” he said.
“That is why we are using every means at our disposal to restore Eskom’s power stations and build new generating capacity as a matter of the greatest urgency. The benefits of the progress we have made are not yet felt – load shedding has not abated – but we will soon experience the impact of the unprecedented investment being made in new power generation.
“When we emerge from this crisis, our energy system will have been fundamentally transformed. It will be more stable, more reliable, more affordable, and more sustainable.”
One other societal issue he addressed was the high unemployment rate in the country.
“Freedom cannot be meaningful when more than 10-million South Africans are out of work. That is why we need to pursue the far-reaching reforms we are undertaking to make our economy more competitive, more inclusive, and more attractive to investors. It is because South Africans need jobs that we have raised our ambition in the next phase of our investment drive, to raise R2-trillion in new investment over the next five years,” he said.
Ramaphosa encouraged South Africans to fight against gender-based violence, which has engulfed the country.
“We need to unite as a society to end the violence that is perpetrated by men against women and children. This is a fight that we must all take up – both men and women – if we want to achieve equal rights, freedoms, and opportunities for all.
“As we undertake these great and difficult tasks, we are encouraged and inspired by those who brought freedom to our country and built our democracy,” Ramaphosa said.
magadlam@sowetan.co.za
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