South Africans will celebrate Freedom Day tomorrow, commemorating the first post-apartheid elections in 1994. Getting into the spirit are Noma Hlatshwayo, left, and Miss India SA KZN 2016 Suvina Mahadaw, who swopped traditional outfits.

I BELIEVE that my country has a lot of potential to become one of the leading nations of the world.

That is my short answer to the question: “What does Freedom Day mean to you?”

As an undergraduate student studying engineering at university, my choice was deliberate.

I was told that my country needed engineers and other skilled people.

This is so that we can compete with the technological developments in the rest of the world and not fall behind.

I was also motivated by my elder brother, who is a civil engineer and whose work sees him making a difference in the lives of very poor people.

One of the projects that he was involved in was to build a road in a rural community that had never had a road.

The community was grateful but the project brought my brother and the team he works with a great deal of personal satisfaction.

I believe that there is a lot of goodwill in our country.

In spite of what we might read in the newspapers or see on TV about conflict, I believe that the majority of our people want the same thing – peace and prosperity.

Some politicians give the impression that we are always at one another’s throats.

That is possibly true but I also see in places like my campus how students from different backgrounds come together because they want to make a difference in our collective future.

Growing up I have had the privilege to travel to countries like Cuba, where I have seen people work co-operatively and not be motivated by money.

Money is important but it must not be our sole motivator.

Money must serve to make us comfortable and enable us to do good things in our society.

Money that is accumulated becomes an evil.

When I look around the world and see students being water bombed in Kashmir and children being killed in Syria and Iraq, I am grateful that my country is at peace.

Crime is a major concern and I feel that we are constantly at risk.

In the area in which we live, a neighbourhood watch has been organised so that we can work with the police to take charge of our security.

My name is on the roster to join the neighbourhood watch when I am called upon.

I was encouraged to read earlier in the week that the community around Berea organised themselves to take back the night.

Men, women and children patrolled the streets to give a message to the criminals that they would not be intimidated.

I am motivated by the words of the American president JF Kennedy who said: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

On this Freedom Day, I will rest at home, but I will remember all the people who fought for my country to be free.

To honour them I will remember the words that hope springs eternal and that we must be constantly optimistic that a better future is possible for our country.

As a patriotic South African I stand to be counted to build my country.