Freedom Day is an annual celebration of South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections of 1994. Peace, unity, the preservation and the restoration of human dignity hallmark Freedom Day celebrations on the 27th of April of each year.

The road to democracy was a long and difficult one. Since the arrival of the White man at the Cape in 1652, the indigenous peoples of South Africa came under White control and domination. Soon all peoples of colour were denied the vote and hence a say in the running of the country. South Africa was never truly independent nor democratic. The exclusion of the majority of South Africans from political power was at the centre of the liberation struggle and resistance to white minority rule.

Despite much opposition to White rule to halt white encroachment on black land in South Africa, blacks were systematically herded into restricted areas and homelands and their rights to equal opportunity denied.

With the formation of the South African Native National Congress, (which later became the African National Congress, ANC) in 1912, the resistance movement became formalized. The ANC strived to improve the conditions of the blacks. Its task became more difficult after the Nationalist Party victory of 1948 - when the grand machinery of Apartheid was put into motion and became law. Each race was given different privileges, some more and others less.

Nevertheless, the ANC and its allies continued to seek the freedom of all its peoples and continued to challenge the unjust apartheid laws. When The Congress of the People (held in Kliptown in 1955), adopted the Freedom Charter, the blueprint for a democratic South Africa was laid. The Charter affirmed that: "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 the people".

In 1961 South Africa became a Republic and the 31st of May was declared a national holiday (Republic Day) by the National Party, yet it was never celebrated by all South Africans. The Umkonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC was formed during this period as a means of armed resistance. Many of the leaders were banned, imprisoned and tortured.

Today, South Africa celebrates Freedom Day to mark the liberation of South Africa and its people from a long period of colonialism and white minority domination - which means that they no longer have the situation in which political power is enjoyed and exercised by a minority of our population, to the exclusion of the majority. Freedom Day is not an African National Congress day, but a day for all South Africans. When South Africa was liberated both the oppressor and oppressed were liberated. They pledge on this day: "Never again would a minority government impose itself on the majority".

South Africans are "One people with one destiny". It is therefore imperative for South Africans of diverse political and economic backgrounds to work towards a common objective. On Freedom Day we celebrate the relentless efforts of those who fought for liberation, of the many men and women who took up arms and courted imprisonment, bannings and torture on behalf of the oppressed masses.

On Freedom Day, they commit themselves to ensuring the defence of the sacred freedoms that they had won as a result of a long, difficult and costly struggle. They remind themselves that the guarantee of these freedoms requires permanent vigilance. It is their pledge to devote themselves to continue to work to wipe out the legacy of racism in their country. Which just shows the huge amount of significance that Freedom Day is to the South African people.

Hopefully this will allow an insight into Freedom Day where there once wasn't.