Delegates from Natal at the historic Congress of the People held in Kliptown where the Freedom Charter was adopted on June 26, 1955.
Dr. Reneva Fourie
This year marks the 71st anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter at Kliptown on 26 June, 1955.
The Freedom Charter was the lodestar of the liberation struggle, the rallying point around which millions of South Africans united in pursuit of a democratic future. It sought to better transform economic power, social relations and ownership patterns in a society then shaped by colonialism and apartheid.
In the 1950s, few could have predicted precisely what a free South Africa would look like. What existed was a collective expression of hope and determination to overthrow apartheid and build a society founded on equality, dignity and justice. More than three decades into democracy, South Africa has achieved many of the Charter's political objectives.
