Born to be Free

Our Story:

South Africa has made great strides since the first democratic election in a short period of time, and as a result it is revered as an example of an inspiring transition from the oppression of apartheid to the freedom of democracy. The transition, however, also unleashed hope, and with hope came new expectations. Even after two decades of freedom, some of these expectations have not been met.

The first ten years of this transition for South Africa included changes in the economy, government, agriculture, media, criminal justice system, delivery of critical services such as water and health care, race relations, institutions of the state and education system, big business and even sport, as well as in the thinking and beliefs of ordinary people.

Transformation then became the main objective of a post-apartheid South Africa. This involved changing the appearance, content, orientation and direction of the state, society and economy that the country had inherited from the apartheid period. This process is still ongoing and for it to happen, new and innovative ways must be introduced that will have a positive influence on the country and its leaders.

This is then the responsibility of the born free. A born free is a child that was born after 1994, a child born into the new South Africa, born into a South Africa that does not shackle and deprive people of their rights based on colour or gender. In today’s South Africa the born free has a different battle to fight; we fight to ensure that the principles of the Freedom charter, as adopted by the Congress of the People in Kliptown (26 June 1955), are up- held and used as a mechanism to hold our leaders accountable. The passage below is an excerpt from the Freedom Charter; it outlines some of the principles that we as Born Free would like to uphold.

We, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know:

‘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 all the people;

That our people have been robbed of their birthright to land, liberty and peace by a form of government founded on injustice and inequality;

That our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities;

That only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief;

And therefore, we, the people of South Africa, black and white together as equals, countrymen and brothers adopt this Freedom Charter;

And we pledge ourselves to strive together, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic changes here set out have been won.’

The Freedom charter paved the road that South Africa is slowly moving along, and notes that change is not of a specific colour or gender and cannot be limited by the constraints of one’s age. The development of the youth cannot be left solely to the elected political leaders of the Country and as young South Africans we all have a role to play in ensuring that the journey towards a South Africa that is seen as the leaders of Africa, leaders of youth development and involvement is a journey that we are prepared for.