Legacy of the Freedom Charter
Adopted in Kliptown, Johannesburg on 25 June 1955
The seminal political document the Freedom Charter is not merely a historical document, and very few documents are able to hold their own against its illustrious history. At its inception, the Freedom Charter served as a weapon against unjust laws and was soon banned. It then directed the famous Treason Trial and was unbanned in 1984, included in the SA democratic constitution, and finally, seen as the Bible of the ANC because it proclaimed love and respect for all brethren. Advocate Vernon Berrange summarised the objective of the Freedom Charter during the Treason Trial as follows:
The defence puts it that the ideas and convictions as enshrined in the charter, though abhorrent to the policy of the current government, are the convictions of the vast majority of all mankind, of all races and colour, and also that of the vast majority of the citizens of this country.
The Freedom Charter remains as relevant today as it was sixty-two years ago at its inception. Former President Mbeki said that “For decades its (Freedom Charter) eloquence has adequately answered the question – what kind of South Africa do we want?” Any ambiguity in this regard is obliterated by the very clear message that ‘South African belongs to all who live in it’. Every South African has by implication a role to play. And every generation is therefore duty-bound to follow this guide to keep South Africa on its fixed path.
Let us be reminded that the Freedom Charter is saturated with the blood of those who fought for our freedom and that many cadres have laid themselves, families, time and youth on the altar. Unfortunately, the invaluable contribution of these cadres does not allow them to sail off into the sunset. On the contrary, their responsibility has increased exponentially and shifted – from active involvement to active guidance. Their activism should be canvassed among the youth where they should endeavour to instil national pride and honour. Yes, we have come full circle. We should go back to canvassing, as our fathers did, to explain the objectives of the Freedom Charter to all our people. As before, volunteers should go from door to door, but this time to report on the progress that has been made, as well as the obstacles in our way to realise these objectives. The revolutionary message in the charter needs fresh and sober elaboration and consideration among us. As a people, we should be vigilant in scrutinising whether our bodies of state, courts, schools, the private sector, the media and every public and private institution are representative of our diverse nation.
However, it is essential that we internalise the objectives of the Freedom Charter. How else would we be able to demand from South African citizens to consciously strive for an all-inclusive, non-racial and equal society? Deliberate efforts in this regard would plant seeds for future growth. We need the older generation’s buy-in to secure the future of South Africa. We cannot sit idly by while destructive perceptions and thoughts, that could negate all our sacrifices, are passed down to the next generation. Similarly, these cadres should vehemently oppose those who threaten to capture the state thereby brutally infringing on our fledgling democracy.
As South Africans we need to be cognisant of the fact that the Freedom Charter presents the ideal where every South African has a job, a house, access to education and enjoys equal human rights. Although a seemingly impossible task it does not relief us of our moral obligation to persist and persevere. It has now become incumbent on the generation that fought so valiantly in the past to halt the avalanche of her alarming descent.
The Freedom Charter has regrettably always been regarded as a document belonging to African or blacks, but the time has come for it to be viewed as an all-inclusive document, as it was destined. Only then can brave and frank debates about progress and the future of South Africa yield fruits. Reconstructing a society from an agonising past is an arduous task. Hence it is not too late for our leaders to rise, take up the Freedom Charter baton and set South Africa back on its original course – one of disciplined democracy. The Freedom Charter remains integral to the political landscape of South Africa – a timeless legacy indeed.