Three ways to celebrate Freedom Day
Here are three things you can
do in KwaZulu-Natal on Freedom Day to celebrate how far we have come as a
country.
We still have a long way to go before all South Africans are truly free, but Wednesday is a good day to remember why it is so important to continue working towards achieving Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation.
The public holiday is more than just a day to celebrate our freedom, but it also commemorates the first democratic elections in the country.
One of the best ways to mark Freedom Day is to take a trip down memory lane.
Nelson Mandela Capture site
Located near Howick, the Mandela Capture site is a popular tourist location, not only because of the amazing steel structure of struggle hero Nelson Mandela, but also because of its history. Nelson Mandela had been on the run for almost 17-months before he was captured at the site during a roadblock in 1962. Despite his disguise as a chauffeur, South Africa’s future president was promptly arrested and would spend 27 years behind bars. Madiba, as he is fondly called by South Africans, would later describe his journey as “The Long Walk to Freedom”. The capture site is a great place to visit throughout the year, but especially on Freedom Day.
The KwaZulu-Natal museum
If you have children who fall under the born-free generation (born after the end of Apartheid), a good way to educate them about South Africa’s past is to take them to the Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg. They will learn a lot about KwaZulu-Natal’s history.
Have a Braai
If you are not keen to take a long drive, why not have a braai with your family? You can educate your children about your own experiences of growing up during Apartheid, and talk about what freedom means. Instead of focusing on the negatives, discuss what still needs to be done for all South Africans to be truly free, and how they can make small (or big) changes to help contribute to a free society.