For those of us who were there, April 27 1994 will live in our memories to our last breath. And for those who come after us it will live in history as a beacon illuminating the triumph of humanity over inhumanity.
Our Constitution, with a Bill of Rights at its heart, protects us all. It is our collective response to the oppression of apartheid. It is founded on the best of what humanity has to offer: dignity, a love of freedom, a commitment to equality and the embrace of tolerance.
We are privileged to be here today, living our freedom under a Constitution that cherishes our humanity. So many lived and died without knowing this feeling. Let us remember them today. But in vanquishing a system of oppression, we have not erased the past. Its legacy lives on and oppresses us still. I want to say something to every representative, member and supporter of my party, the Democratic Alliance — the struggle continues.
Our purpose in politics is to overcome the legacy of apartheid and usher in a new kind of society in which every person has the right and the means to live a life they value. Our purpose in politics is to vanquish poverty in our country, so that every person can taste the fruits of freedom.
Our purpose in politics is to reconcile South Africans to one another. Let others divide; we will unite. When we campaign, let it be on this basis. Where we govern, let it be to this end.
To my fellow South Africans I say this: each person in South Africa has the right to support the party of his or her choice. That is part of what freedom means.
This is an extract from a speech given by DA leader Helen Zille on April 26 at Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square, Mamelodi