The Freedom Charter turns 61
Tau promise to honour the Freedom Charter by making Joburg a city of the future.
Thousands of people from Soweto and surrounding areas gathered at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown on Sunday this past weekend to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
The Freedom Charter was adopted at the same place in 1955 during a gathering which became known as the congress of the people.
Professor Zachariah Keodirelang “ZK” Matthews was one of the organisers of the congress of the people and the contributors in the drafting of the Freedom Charter.
The current South African constitution which was adopted in 1996 is based on the Freedom Charter which declared that South Africa belongs to all who lives in it.
The 61st-anniversary celebration was organised by the African National Congress (ANC) in the Johannesburg region.
ANC bigwigs who are part of the provincial and national leadership graced the event. Notable faces included Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba, Gauteng ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile, ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize and Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau.
The event also served as a platform to officially unveil Tau as the Johannesburg mayoral candidate in the upcoming elections.
“It is appropriate that today we are gathered in this place which 61 years ago laid a foundation of defining what freedom meant for the people of South Africa.
“Freedom meant that all shall be equal before the law, it meant that the doors of learning and culture shall be opened, the people shall govern and that no government shall unjustly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people,” said Tau.
The mayor was quoting from the Freedom Charter itself which has ten points. All points in the document promote equality and equal access to the country’s resources across all race groups.
Tau went on to commit himself to honouring the Freedom Charter by working towards making Johannesburg a city of the future with a bright future for its people.
