Thousands to celebrate Charter

2005-06-23 14:09

Johannesburg - Thousands of people are expected to gather in Kliptown in Soweto on Sunday to celebrate the Freedom Charter, which was adopted decades ago to pave the way for a democratic and non-racial South Africa.

The adoption of the charter will be marked across the country with the main event taking place in Kliptown - the site where the document was adopted on June 26 1955.

Many dignitaries, including President Thabo Mbeki, will address a symbolic People's Assembly at the celebrations on Sunday.

Kliptown's celebrations will also see the opening of the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication. Sisulu played a leading role in the struggle for liberation of South Africa's people.

Tens of thousands of people contributed to the formulation of the charter during a two-day Congress of the People in Kliptown.

It became of a manifesto which inspired generations in their struggle against apartheid and it is the backbone of the country's constitution and Bill of Rights.

The document reads: "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 the people."

It also reads that "only a democratic state, based on the will of the people, can secure all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief".

Mbeki would open the square and light a flame of freedom which would burn for 24 hours a day, said the Gauteng government on Thursday.

It said the R160m² was a heritage site and the centre of the Kliptown renewal project, an initiative to upgrade the area and create sustainable livelihoods for the community.

Boycott

Members of the cabinet, surviving veterans of the Congress of the People and an array of musicians will also attend the event. Buses will ferry people to the venue from across Gauteng.

On Monday, a People's Assembly - organised by parliament - will be held in Kliptown.

Charmaine Rapp of parliament's public education office, said the event would feature people from around the country discussing issues such as crime and poverty and would be attended by MPs.

Although organisers have invited South Africans across the spectrum to attend, some opposition parties will boycott the People's Assembly because they believe it is an African National Congress rally and a waste of taxpayers' money.

These include the Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party, the African Christian Democratic Party and the Freedom Front Plus.

They have said Kliptown is extremely undeveloped and the millions of rand the government would use for the celebrations should instead be used to develop infrastructure, provide basic services and proper sanitation there.

There has also been opposition from the Kliptown Concerned Residents Committee which said earlier this month there was nothing to celebrate because the area remained underdeveloped.

Kliptown's celebrations start at 09:00 and last into the afternoon.

- SAPA