Freedom Day

"As South Africans celebrate 18 years of democracy, the U.S. celebrates with you. Through the lessons of S.A., and the work of our own people, America is reminded to strive for the idealistic image of ourselves that our citizens hold in their hearts."

"Happy Freedom Day, South Africa!"

Ambassador Donald Gips writes for City Press
April 22, 2012

In 1994, over 19 million South Africans voted for their future. From Diepsloot to De Doorns, Upington to Umlazi, young and old, rich and poor, citizens of all races, backgrounds and beliefs waited in lines over a three-day voting period, knowing they had the right, and finally the power, to shape their own country.

While every country, including my own, has a national day, South Africa’s Freedom Day strikes a deep chord for people around the world. We remember the front-page photos of South Africans patiently waiting to cast their vote, the pride on faces as people made their marks and the interviews with average citizens who echoed the same sentiment again and again: “I have waited my whole life to cast this vote.”

This year, the United States is deeply honored to have two courageous Americans, Randall Robinson and the late Senator Ted Kennedy, recognized by the Republic of South Africa with its highest honor for foreign nationals, the Companions of O.R. Tambo for their work supporting the people of South Africa in the Struggle.

When bureaucrats in the U.S. government saw the Struggle as another front in the Cold War, or simply hesitated to speak out, Mr. Robinson and Senator Kennedy stated bluntly and loudly that apartheid was morally wrong and actively advanced sanctions, divestment and boycotts. And when Mr. Robinson and Senator Kennedy, and many other Americans, shone a spotlight on the horrors of apartheid, refusing to let America look the other way, America listened.

Through his work as an activist and through the TransAfrica Forum, an organization he founded and led until 2011, Mr. Robinson was one of America’s strongest anti-apartheid voices. On November 21, 1984, Mr. Robinson led a sit-in at the South African Embassy in Washington, an action that sparked the widespread protests and demonstrations across the United States that came to known as the Free South Africa Movement. Mr. Robinson continues to work as an activist and is a respected voice, and critic, of U.S. policy not only in Africa, but around the world.

In 1986, Senator Ted Kennedy championed U.S. anti-apartheid legislation after a visit to South Africa at the request of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. During this visit, he organized an illegal protest at Pollsmoor Prison to urge the release of Nelson Mandela. After President Reagan vetoed the first bill outlining sanctions against South Africa, Senator Kennedy pushed through the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, which passed Congress despite a second veto by President Reagan. This was one of the rare times in U.S. history when the Congress overrode a Presidential veto – a upper-majority vote that requires two-thirds of the voting members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The law established wide-ranging economic sanctions against the apartheid government and set stringent criteria for lifting of sanctions, including a timeline for Mandela’s release.

As South Africa marks Freedom Day, we all remember the struggles of those who fought for freedom, and we reflect on the values and beliefs for which South Africa stands: Democracy. Justice. Equality. Human rights. These are the values on which both the United States of America and South Africa were founded, and the values that America and South Africa continue to fight for today to ensure all people, all around the world, can enjoy these same freedoms.

It is through the work of watchdogs, activists and citizens that countries live up to their principles. This isn’t easy, and it’s not painless, but it is only through the sheer determination of citizens that positive change happens. As South Africa grants this prestigious honor on Mr. Robinson and Senator Kennedy, the United States honors them, as well. We owe these men, and the thousands of other Americans who spoke out on apartheid and continue to speak out on injustice, both within our own borders and around the world, a great debt. They ensure our countries live up to our values.

Happy Freedom Day, South Africa. As South Africans celebrate 18 years of democracy, the United States celebrates with you. Through the lessons of South Africa, and the work of our own people, America is reminded to strive for the idealistic image of ourselves that our citizens hold in their hearts.