Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong has called on South Africans to honour the country’s liberation history while continuing to work towards a better future.
Morolong officially launched the Milestones of Freedom campaign in Mpumalanga on Friday.
Speaking at the provincial launch in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in the Gert Sibande District, Morolong said the campaign was an opportunity to reflect on the country’s journey since the advent of democracy in 1994.
The campaign, launched nationally by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June, is being held under the theme, “Honouring the Past. Delivering the Future” and commemorates four significant milestones: 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution, 50 years since the 1976 youth uprising, 70 years since the 1956 Women’s March and 60 years since the forced removals from District Six.
Morolong used the occasion to honour anti-apartheid activists, whose names and legacies are closely linked to Mpumalanga, including Gert Sibande, Nokuthula Simelane and Nomoya Christina Masilela.
He described Gert Sibande, known as the “Lion of the East”, as a grassroots leader, who fought for the rights of farm workers and African communities. Sibande was among 156 anti-apartheid leaders arrested and charged with treason in 1956.
Morolong also remembered Nokuthula Simelane, who was abducted, tortured and killed by members of the apartheid-era Security Branch in 1983 at the age of 23.
He called for truth, accountability and justice for those implicated in Simelane’s murder and other apartheid-era crimes. Morolong said the judicial commission of inquiry --established by President Ramaphosa to determine whether attempts were made to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes -- demonstrated government’s commitment to helping families who have waited years for justice.
Women and life in Mpumalanga
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the role of women in the liberation struggle, honouring Nomoya Christina Masilela, who was killed by apartheid security forces in 1985. He said the Nomoya Masilela Museum and the Nomoya Masilela Cultural Precinct play an important role in preserving the history of the liberation struggle.
Morolong said the campaign would also provide an opportunity to reflect on progress made in Mpumalanga since 1994.
The Deputy Minister pointed to improvements in education and access to basic services, while acknowledging that significant challenges remain.
The 2025 General Household Survey showed that 91.3% of people aged five and older in Mpumalanga attended school. More than 80% of learners in Mpumalanga and several other provinces also benefited from school nutrition programmes at public schools.
However, Morolong said continued challenges, including electricity interruptions, reliance on traditional fuels, such as wood for cooking and gaps in access to services, showed that the work of transformation was not complete.
Land restitution
Land restitution was another focus of the address, with Morolong linking the progress made since 1994 to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the forced removals from District Six.
He said that by last year March, 83 205 land claims had been settled nationally, restoring 3.9 million hectares of land to dispossessed communities and individuals since 1995.
He also highlighted the recent handover of land and title deeds to the Mtshoeni/Mtsweni family in Mpumalanga. The family’s land claim involved 18 households and 86 beneficiaries, and covered more than 627 hectares.
The associated Communal Property Association is using the restored land for maize and soybean cultivation and livestock farming. Government has provided more than R16.5 million in post-settlement support for livestock farming, grain production and skills development.
Women’s Month
Morolong said such initiatives demonstrated that freedom should be reflected not only in symbolism, but also in restored land, dignity and economic opportunity.
The launch also took place during Women’s Month, with Morolong highlighting progress in women’s political representation and economic empowerment since 1994.
Women now make up approximately 43.5% of Members of Parliament, while women occupy the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Of the 75 members of the Executive, 32 are women, including 14 Cabinet Ministers and 18 Deputy Ministers.
He also noted the appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya in 2024 as South Africa’s first female Chief Justice and government’s 40% public procurement target for women-owned businesses.
Despite these advances, Morolong said women continued to face poverty, unemployment, gender-based violence and femicide, unequal economic opportunities, limited land ownership, underrepresentation in leadership and the digital divide.
Education
The Deputy Minister further honoured the youth of 1976, saying their resistance helped expose the brutality of apartheid and inspired resistance across South Africa.
He highlighted improvements in education since 1994, including the rise in the matric pass rate from 58% in 1994 to 88% in 2025, the highest since the dawn of democracy.
Morolong said more than two-thirds of bachelor passes in 2025 were achieved by learners from previously disadvantaged schools. He also pointed to the expansion of access to higher education through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which has funded more than five million students up to the 2025/26 financial year.
Reflections
For Mpumalanga MEC for Transport Thulasizwe Thomo, said that the launch in Bethal provides a powerful setting for reflecting on the meaning of freedom.
The town’s history brings together the struggles of farm workers, political activists and young people who stood against apartheid injustice.
“To speak about the liberation history of Mpumalanga without speaking about Bethal would therefore be to leave out an important part of the province's contribution to the broader struggle for freedom in South Africa,” Thomo said.
Closing his address, Morolong said South Africa’s journey from apartheid to democracy had been long and difficult, but that the country’s transformation remained an ongoing process.
He urged South Africans to use the Milestones of Freedom Campaign to remember those who fought for democracy, recognise the progress made since 1994 and remain committed to delivering a future that benefits all citizens. – SAnews.gov.za
