Freedom Charter: Why it is still relevant to contemporary South Africa

Apartheid is a practice of institutionalised racial discrimination that subsisted in South Africa over the period 1948 to early the 1990s. Following decades of minority rule under the Apartheid system of government, the victims of the oppression, inhumanity and discrimination that characterized the system who are mainly the Black South Africans, Indians, coloured and a fraction of the white, launched a staunch campaign against it in 1952.  The parties to the campaign, namely the African National Congress, South African Indian Congress, South African Congress of Democrats, and the Coloured People’s Congress, held several conferences and multi-racial sensitization and mobilization against the authoritarian political culture instituted by the white minority at the expense others, particularly the Black. To drive home their goals, delegates who are freedom volunteers were sent to the nooks and crannies of the nation especially to the economically disadvantaged population groups to collect a list of their demands in 1955.

The compilation of these demands gave birth to the Freedom Charter, encapsulating the ambitions of the majority of the people of South Africa of the time. The Freedom Charter has 10 key headings, each with several elements focusing mainly on equal rights, equal share in the country’s wealth, equal right to the land, equality before the law, respect for human rights, employment and job security, access to learning and culture, access to houses, security and comfort, among others. Hence, the Freedom Charter was a consummation of an extensive process of dialogue and consultation comprising concerns put forward by individuals. The importance of the document can be better understood when we consider the fact that many of its demands are incorporated into the development of the South African Constitution, especially those bothering on the equality of language and race.

Today, South Africa has scored high points in participatory democracy, one of the focal points of the Freedom Charter. Minority rule has been eliminated since the advent of democracy, paving the way for the leading slogan of the Freedom Charter “the people shall govern”. No doubt, political equality is a colossal achievement, considering the grief, discrimination and oppression, unpleasant experience and inequality that characterised the apartheid dispensation in South Africa. In the same vein, South Africa has achieved giant strides in the attainment of human rights such as freedom of expression, association, worship, privacy, and freedom to travel. To a certain extent, equality before the law is guaranteed and discriminatory laws against the Black have been abolished.

In spite of its achievements, South Africa remains the most unequal society in the world. Based on the World Bank Gini index of inequality, South Africa ranks first among 164 countries in the global poverty database, attesting to the unabated conundrum of consumption, income and opportunity inequality. The reality of stable and consistent wealth inequality is at variance with the epistle of wealth equality entrenched in the freedom Charter.

One of the main elements of the Freedom Charter is access to housing, consequent to which the South African government has made a significant contribution. The government’s commitment is hallmarked by the introduction of the government housing subsidy programs following the commencement of the democracy era. The Reconstruction and Development Plan of 1994, Breaking New Ground of 2004, Social Housing Policy of 2006 and subsequent housing policies are counted among the concerted efforts made by the government to give Black South African access to free and affordable houses and correct the anomaly of the Apartheid era. It is indeed an irony that millions of Black South Africans are still taking refuge in informal settlements and streets of major cities, which are comparable to the overpopulated, unhygienic shelters of the Apartheid era. Moreover, the major cities of South Africa remain noticeably segregated with a low presence of Black South Africans in elsewhile White districts or suburbs. Can we say that the “housing, comfort and security for all” tenets of the Freedom Charter have been realised with this reality?

The Freedom Charter emphasises unrestricted and compulsory education, irrespective of race or colour. The commitment to the realisation of this goal reflects in the progressive investment in education over time. As a matter of fact, South Africa boasts one of the best education systems on the African continent. In addition, South Africa has performed well in education since the abolishment of Apartheid, based on the adult literacy rate. For example, this favourable performance is manifested in the rising literacy rate from 72.20% in 1980 to 92.89 in 2009. However, the adult literacy rate increased at decreasing rate from 2009 to 2017 and declined sharply thereafter. Statista research department revealed that the participation rate of Black children in education does not compare favourably with other race groups. In particular, the research reveals that only 14% of black children complete high school compared with 65% of white children, posing a significant question in terms of the achievement of education for all entrenched in the Freedom Charter. Thus, racial inequality remains a key feature in the SA education system.

The Freedom Charter places emphasis on the equal right to work. In addition, the employment equity Act of 1998 eliminates segregation and supports equality, fairness, and reward for all employees. With the exception of the 2002-2008 period when the unemployment rate was at its lowest, the nation’s performance on unemployment and youth unemployment rate metric is nothing to write home about, especially with the recent increase in the unemployment rate. At the end of 2021, the Black South African unemployment rate stood at 39.1%, followed by 29.8% and 27.5% for the Coloured and Indian respectively, while their white counterpart was 2.6%. This has been the pattern over time, the employment equity Act notwithstanding.

However, while the government has a role to play in the realisation of the Freedom Charter, the so-called disadvantaged people cannot be totally exonerated from the blame. The provision of free and affordable housing is beneficial, however, selling such housing units is tantamount to corruption amongst the beneficiaries and mental slavery. While corruption in the system makes it possible for the beneficiaries to sell free houses, it is also an indication that those involved in this act prefer living in poor housing units. As the saying goes “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. There is a need for mental reorientation and attitudinal change among the so-called disadvantaged people if the goal of the Freedom Charter must be realised. It has been pointed out that the mindsets of the disadvantaged people are refined to embrace fundamental changes.

In summary, the many goals raised in the Freedom Charter have not been completely realised. The readiness of people to pursue their right to emancipation and take responsibility for the realisation of their right is key to the success of the Freedom Charter while the responsibility of the government is to provide conducive environments for the individuals to liberate themselves. According to Ansa Heyl, “Ultimately the Freedom Charter will make sense to all South Africans if individual endeavour and government intervention are seen as equally important. The struggle for the achievement of the rights set out in the Freedom Charter continues”. Finally, democracy is a key achievement of the Freedom Charter. However, the goals of the Freedom Charter would remain elusive until it is realised that democracy is not an end itself, but a means to an end.

Dr. Obalade Adefemi is a researcher and writes in his personal capacity.