This year, the South African Embassy will celebrate the National Day under the theme: “Celebrating the Beginning of the Third Decade of our Freedom through Accelerating Radical Economic Transformation”. The month of April will forever resonate in the history of our nation as the month that saw the first democratic elections in 1994 that gave birth to freedom and constitutional democracy in South Africa. This election marked a turning point that saw the previously disadvantaged become part of the South African political processes. The country belongs to all who live in it. The 1994 breakthrough promotes the values of freedom and democracy that are an integral part of our constitutional democracy. Freedom Day is celebrated on 27 April in celebration of the historic participation of all the people of South African citizens in the first free and fair democratic elections.
Over the last two decades we have worked hard to construct a society that serves its entire people. In fact, South Africa has come a long way in addressing the economic, social and cultural challenges created under apartheid. The year 2015 ushers the beginning of the third decade of democracy and freedom. On 27 April this year South Africans are called to take the opportunity to celebrate the fruits of our democracy. As we celebrate 21 years we remember and pay homage to those who laid their lives so that we could enjoy the freedom that we today cherish. We remember amongst others the founding father of our Nation, the late Nelson Mandela, whose spirit continues to inspire our efforts to ensure the majority truly benefit from the material fruits of freedom for which he struggled. We have made significant progress in building a democratic nation founded on the values of human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism. Great progress made in lifting disadvantaged out of poverty with access to water, healthcare, education, housing and many other basic needs which they did not have before 1994. Our economy has become more inclusive and continues to show steady growth and we are proud of the progress we have made in the past 21 years. Similarly, on this occasion we also extend our profound gratitude to the international community for the solid support during our struggle for freedom and for the continued contribution towards our reconstruction and development efforts in the last two decades. Our foreign policy has come of age in the past 21 years. We pursued a principled and independent foreign policy that is rooted on the plight of our continent supported by strong South to South cooperation as well as partnerships with the countries of the North, and active participation in institutions of global governance. In this regard we will continue to strengthen the existing bilateral relations between South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the mutual benefit of our people. We will pay more attention in deepening cooperation especially in trade and economic relations.
