In 1955, the Congress of the People gathered in Kliptown, Soweto, to adopt the Freedom Charter, a document that captured the aspirations of millions across the country and the region. Reflecting on this, 70 years later, and on 30 years of our Constitution and the current crisis of youth unemployment, we are called to both celebration and sober reflection.
These anniversaries are not mere historical milestones. They are reminders of the promises made to generations past and future – a vision of a just, inclusive, and prosperous nation. Yet, as we look around, particularly at the crisis of youth unemployment, we must ask: how far have we come, and where have we faltered?
By all accounts, the Freedom Charter was a “blueprint of home”. Its bold declaration – “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people” – was a direct challenge to the tyranny of apartheid. The Charter’s demands were radical for their time: land for the landless, living wages, free and compulsory education, and equality of all races into a common front for justice and dignity.
In many ways, the Charter’s influence endures, particularly because it laid the ideological foundation for the Bill of Rights in our 1996 Constitution and inspired the very structure of our democracy. Yet, 70 years on, the physical monuments to the Charter lie broken and neglected – a stark metaphor for the battered dreams of many South Africans today.
Inspired by the 1955 Freedom Charter, our 1996 Constitution was a promise of a new society, a triumph of hope over history. It gave legal force to the Charter’s noble vision, enshrining democracy, equality, and non-discrimination as the highest law of the land. The Constitution established checks and balances, protected fundamental rights, and sought to heal the wounds of our divided past. It has been the bedrock for several key advances: the abolition of the death penalty, the right to healthcare and HIV/AIDS treatment, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Now 30 years old, our Constitutional Court has been a guardian of these rights, often standing as the bulwark against abuse of power and injustices. Its judgements have shaped our society for the better, affirming dignity, freedom, and social justice. Despite the many failures, missed and squandered opportunities of the past three decades, there is much to be proud of. In many ways, South Africa is unrecognisable from the country it was before 1994. The right to vote is universal. Social grants reach over 18 million people, providing a lifeline to the most vulnerable. Access to healthcare, water, education, and social security has expanded dramatically. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, once a death sentence, is now managed with the world’s largest treatment programme. Laws promoting workers’ rights and black economic empowerment have been enacted. These achievements might seem trivial, but they are not. They represent the collective effort of a nation determined to break with its past and build a future rooted in human rights and dignity.
Yet, for all this progress, the dream of the Freedom Charter remains unfulfilled for millions. Nowhere is this more painfully evident than the crisis of youth unemployment. Today, nearly two-thirds of young South Africans are jobless. This is not just a statistic – it is a national emergency of great proportions. It is also a betrayal of the Charter’s promise of “work and security” and the Constitution’s guarantee of equality and dignity.
Why have we failed? The reasons are many and complex, but they boil down to a litany of missed and squandered opportunities, as well as lack of political will.
- Education: While access has generally improved, the quality of education remains woefully inadequate. Our schools, especially in poor communities, are under-resourced and overcrowded. Too many young people drop out without the skills needed to participate meaningfully, gainfully, in a modern economy.
- Economic Policy Paralysis: Successive ANC governments, now the GNU, have failed to create an environment conducive to sustainable job creation. Overregulation, policy uncertainty, and high levels of corruption, have stifled investment and entrepreneurship.
- State Capture and other forms of Corruption: Billions have been lost, money that should have gone to infrastructure, skills development, and economic opportunity. The looting of state resources has eroded public trust and undermined service delivery.
- Social Fragmentation: The Charter envisioned a non-racial, united society. Yet, inequality and exclusion persist, often along racial and class lines. Sadly, most of the unemployed young are black – a legacy of apartheid compounded by post-apartheid failures.
The past three decades have been marked by moments when bold action could have changed the trajectory of our nation.
- Land Reform: The Charter called land to be shared among those who work it. Yet, land reform has been slow, poorly managed, and often unnecessarily politicised, failing to empower the rural poor or to stimulate agricultural growth.
- Industrial Policy: We have not invested enough in industries that can absorb large numbers of young workers. Manufacturing, agriculture, and technology sectors have been neglected in favour of short-term political gains.
- Youth Empowerment: Too often, youth employment schemes have been tokenistic, underfunded, or riddled with inefficiency. We have not harnessed the energy, creativity, and ambition of your South Africans.
But it is not too late to reclaim the vision of the Freedom Charter and the promise of the Constitution. However, to succeed, we need honesty, courage, and a willingness to break with failed policies of the past three decades.
- Education Reform: We must invest in quality education, from early childhood to tertiary level, with a focus on skills for the 21st Teachers must be empowered, schools properly resourced, and curricula aligned with the needs of the economy.
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Government must make it easier to start and grow businesses. Red tape must be cut, and young entrepreneurs given access to finance, mentorship, and markets.
- Targeted Industrial Policy: We need a clear strategy to revive manufacturing, support small farmers, and embrace new technologies. When properly structured, public-private partnerships can drive jo creation and skills development.
- Zero Tolerance to Corruption: The culture of impunity must end. Those who steal from the public purse must be prosecuted, and stolen funds recovered. There must be consequences for all those who have been implicated in state capture and other forms of corruption, irrespective of identity and rank.
- Social Cohesion: We must redouble our efforts to build a non-racial, inclusive society. This means tackling inequality head-on, promoting social mobility, and fostering a sense of shared destiny for all.
- Transformation: We must commit to make transformation a national imperative by adopting economic policies that must address this blatant inequality in our country, not the current ANC BBBEE that only benefit those close to political power and the elite.
The anniversaries of the Freedom Charter and the Constitution are not just occasions for nostalgia. They should be regarded as calls for decisive action. We owe it to the generations who fought for freedom – and to millions of young South Africans whose futures hang in the balance – to make good on the promises of justice, equality, and opportunity for all.
Let us not allow the Charter’s dream to lie broken and battered. Let us, together, build a South Africa where every young person has the chance to learn, to work, and to thrive. The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.
My Reflections: 70 Years of the Freedom Charter, 30 Years of the Constitution, and the Current Crisis of Youth Unemployment
In 1955, the Congress of the People gathered in Kliptown, Soweto, to adopt the Freedom Charter, a document that captured the aspirations of millions across the country and the region. Reflecting on this, 70 years later, and on 30 years of our Constitution and the current crisis of youth unemployment, we are called to both celebration and sober reflection.
These anniversaries are not mere historical milestones. They are reminders of the promises made to generations past and future – a vision of a just, inclusive, and prosperous nation. Yet, as we look around, particularly at the crisis of youth unemployment, we must ask: how far have we come, and where have we faltered?
By all accounts, the Freedom Charter was a “blueprint of home”. Its bold declaration – “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people” – was a direct challenge to the tyranny of apartheid. The Charter’s demands were radical for their time: land for the landless, living wages, free and compulsory education, and equality of all races into a common front for justice and dignity.
In many ways, the Charter’s influence endures, particularly because it laid the ideological foundation for the Bill of Rights in our 1996 Constitution and inspired the very structure of our democracy. Yet, 70 years on, the physical monuments to the Charter lie broken and neglected – a stark metaphor for the battered dreams of many South Africans today.
Inspired by the 1955 Freedom Charter, our 1996 Constitution was a promise of a new society, a triumph of hope over history. It gave legal force to the Charter’s noble vision, enshrining democracy, equality, and non-discrimination as the highest law of the land. The Constitution established checks and balances, protected fundamental rights, and sought to heal the wounds of our divided past. It has been the bedrock for several key advances: the abolition of the death penalty, the right to healthcare and HIV/AIDS treatment, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Now 30 years old, our Constitutional Court has been a guardian of these rights, often standing as the bulwark against abuse of power and injustices. Its judgements have shaped our society for the better, affirming dignity, freedom, and social justice. Despite the many failures, missed and squandered opportunities of the past three decades, there is much to be proud of. In many ways, South Africa is unrecognisable from the country it was before 1994. The right to vote is universal. Social grants reach over 18 million people, providing a lifeline to the most vulnerable. Access to healthcare, water, education, and social security has expanded dramatically. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, once a death sentence, is now managed with the world’s largest treatment programme. Laws promoting workers’ rights and black economic empowerment have been enacted. These achievements might seem trivial, but they are not. They represent the collective effort of a nation determined to break with its past and build a future rooted in human rights and dignity.
Yet, for all this progress, the dream of the Freedom Charter remains unfulfilled for millions. Nowhere is this more painfully evident than the crisis of youth unemployment. Today, nearly two-thirds of young South Africans are jobless. This is not just a statistic – it is a national emergency of great proportions. It is also a betrayal of the Charter’s promise of “work and security” and the Constitution’s guarantee of equality and dignity.
Why have we failed? The reasons are many and complex, but they boil down to a litany of missed and squandered opportunities, as well as lack of political will.
The past three decades have been marked by moments when bold action could have changed the trajectory of our nation.
But it is not too late to reclaim the vision of the Freedom Charter and the promise of the Constitution. However, to succeed, we need honesty, courage, and a willingness to break with failed policies of the past three decades.
The anniversaries of the Freedom Charter and the Constitution are not just occasions for nostalgia. They should be regarded as calls for decisive action. We owe it to the generations who fought for freedom – and to millions of young South Africans whose futures hang in the balance – to make good on the promises of justice, equality, and opportunity for all.
Let us not allow the Charter’s dream to lie broken and battered. Let us, together, build a South Africa where every young person has the chance to learn, to work, and to thrive. The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.