Message by the High Commissioner on the 30th Anniversary of Freedom Day on 27 April 2024
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of democracy in South Africa. This anniversary not only presents an opportunity to reflect on the past 30 years but coincides with several historic milestones in our nation’s fight for fundamental rights and freedom.
On 27 April 1994, millions of South Africans cast their ballot in a democratic election, with many doing it for the first time in their lives. That momentous day was the culmination of centuries of struggle, the struggle to liberate our people from suffering and oppression, from dispossession and exploitation, from poverty and inequality. South Africa’s Constitution has since guided our collective efforts over the last three decades to fundamentally change our country for the better, and it continues to stand at the centre of the work we are doing currently to build a better life for all.
South Africa is committed to play a constructive role on the African continent and around the globe for the realisation of a better Africa and a better world. Since the beginning of the democratic era in 1994, South Africa’s international relations have grown exponentially. In 1994 the country hosted 68 diplomatic missions, while today the country hosts 309 diplomatic missions of which 132 are embassies and high commissions. Pretoria currently hosts one of the largest diplomatic corps in the world. The country is a gateway to the African continent, driving continental integration, as well as a leader of the Global South.
Many foreign policy milestones mark the past 30 years. Among others, Government has been at the forefront of championing the need to restructure global institutions such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and in advocacy for a rules-based international order, human rights, multilateralism, and the provisioning of peace and security, especially in Africa. South Africa has been, and remains, included in international fora such as the African Union (AU), the Non-aligned Movement (NAM), the G20 (Group of Twenty), the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Forum, and the Commonwealth of Nations. We have also served on the UNSC on three occasions.
The achievements over the last three decades are a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership to address our most pressing challenges. As we look towards the next 30 years of freedom, South Africans will choose the kind of country, and indeed the kind of world, to be created for ourselves and for our children. This especially as the country, like Sri Lanka, prepares for elections in 2024.
Another milestone of the 30-years anniversary is the bilateral relations between South Africa and Sri
Lanka. Diplomatic relations were formally established in September 1994 and South Africa has since remained committed to strengthening its partnership and friendship with Sri Lanka. This is evident in the Partnership Forum between South Africa and Sri Lanka which functions to encourage cooperation in various sectors including trade and investment, tourism, education, sports, defence, Small Medium and Micro Enterprises development, agriculture, and science and innovation.
Guided by its own history, South Africa will continue to share its own experiences with its critical partner, Sri Lanka, on issues relating to national nation building and reconciliation.