Johannesburg - Some of the people who gathered for a 60th anniversary celebration of the Freedom Charter in the historic Kliptown on Monday have bemoaned the fact that so few of the clauses contained in the document had been met.
Around 60 people gathered at Walter Sisulu Square, singing Struggle songs and reenacting what took place on 26 June 1955 when the Freedom Charter was adopted by thousands of South African. The adoption of the Freedom Charter by the African National Congress and its allies consists of core principles which the ruling ANC uses to guide policy decisions.
Monday’s event was organised by the Department of Arts and Culture and saw the key clauses contained in the charter read out publicly, amid shouts from the small crowd. Scruffy children and homeless people looked on from the sidelines.
The attendees were divided into ten different groups, with each group representing one of the 10 clauses in the Freedom Charter. The purpose of the groups was to encourage discussion about the various clauses in the Freedom Charter and about what they hoped to see happening in their communities.
“We haven’t received adequate housing and security,” said a woman who was part of the group on housing.
The other nine clauses were around how the people would govern, how all national groups would have equal rights, how people would share in the country’s wealth, how the country’s land would be shared among those who work it, that all people were equal before the law, that all people would enjoy equal human rights, that there would be work and security, that the doors of learning and culture would be opened and that there would be peace and friendship.
Small homes for large families and the gauntlet of gangsterism were two of the pressing issues raised on Monday.
A learner from one of the schools that attended the event said: “Schools are segregated and are not the same as western schools and there are limited resources.”
Several of the pupils interviewed by ANA felt that their education at schools in township areas was not on par with what youth in more affluent suburbs were receiving.
Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said youth imbizos were being conducted all over country to hear what was needed and what youth wanted to see happen in the country.
“We rely on young people to tell us how to bridge the gap and what they want to see happening.”
Mabudafhasi said that community libraries were needed to assist youth with researching the past and bringing about unity.
“Young people need to have foundations to build on from studying and hearing about the history of our country.”
Schools needed to be involved in growing the country’s cultural foot print, Mabudafhasi added.
Annina Ylikoski of NGO Bridging Ages, said: “The purpose is to get people thinking of how the freedom charter affects us today.”
Ylikoski said the groups had been formed, much as they had been in 1955, to get people thinking and sharing their views on creating an inclusive South Africa.
“Events stay longer in their minds because they are interactive,” she said.
The idea is to keep people engaged because history is taught through experience and not just by reading it, Ylikoski added.
ANA