Pretoria – South Africans have been encouraged to celebrate Freedom Friday as part of the countdown to the country’s 20 years of Freedom celebrations.
The Department of Arts and Culture Director General Sibusiso Xaba said this Valentine’s Day the call is to show your love for South Africa!
Through song and dance, two entertainment groups, GB Collective and Unknown Virus, will show what the last two decades of democracy mean for them.
GB Collective has been developing a musical production since 2005, focusing on South Africa’s struggle against Apartheid and eventual transition to democracy.
“The objective of the project is to educate and inspire today’s youth about the country’s history and future,” said Xaba.
There is also an opportunity to share thoughts, memories and pictures of freedom, through the department’s interactive countdown campaign.
The campaign, which runs across various social media platforms and interactive experiential zones in malls nationwide, as well as at OR Tambo International Airport, encourages South Africans to share their personal stories of what freedom and democracy means to them.
The experiential zones in malls include an Express your Freedom location where for example South Africans can contribute to graffiti boards, a collection of which will be on display during the official ceremony marking the anniversary of freedom, on 27th April 2014.
In launching the countdown clock campaign in October 2013, Minister Paul Mashatile said: “I call on all South Africans, to come together and participate in activities that promote a common South African consciousness.
“This is not a government campaign but a coming together of South Africans from different walks of life, united in our effort to deepen national pride and celebrate all that is good about our country”.
The countdown campaign is just one activity aimed at mobilising South Africans behind the 20 years of freedom celebrations, Freedom Friday is another; this campaign was launched last year, in partnership with Lead SA, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS), Proudly SA and Brand South Africa.
Freedom Friday encourages the nation to celebrate ‘South Africanness’ by wearing whatever makes them proud to be South African. It could be a sports jersey, traditional dress or beaded suit. – SAnews.gov.za
