Pic : Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu during the event
By Kopano Dibakwane
Hundreds of community members attended the Freedom Day celebrations hosted by Mpumalanga Province at the AJ Swanepoel Stadium in Ermelo, Msukaligwa Local Municipality, on Sunday 27 April 2025.
The President of the Country, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was expected to deliver the keynote address on the day, was unable to attend the event due to other commitments and he was represented by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe, who spoke on his behalf.
Mpumalanga Premeir, Mandla Ndlovu, delivered the welcoming remarks and thanked President Ramaphosa for choosing to celebrate Freedom Day in Mpumalanga. Ndlovu said the population of South Africa owes a great debt to those who fought for freedom against the unjust system of apartheid, which kept non-white South Africans living under many years of oppression.
The Premier recognised, amongst others, Nokuthula Simelane, Gert Sibande, Portia Shabangu, Henry ‘Mr Drum’ Nxumalo, Nomoya Masilela, for their sacrifice.
“ As leaders in government and society, we should always ask ourselves if we still represent their aspirations. We might not have reached our destination as a country, but in Mpumalanga we can witness freedom. As a province, in this 31 years we have the University of Mpumalanga, six boarding schools which replaced farm schools, that is how we are able to produce quality matric results,” said Ndlovu.
Amongst other achievements, Premier Ndlovu said the the province is currently building a school for the deaf and blind, 93,7% of homes have access to electricity, 95.9% have sanitation, unemployment has declined from 36.4% to 34.7% and the plan is to create 60 000 jobs per annum, at least 10 000 jobs to be created through the R514 million fund from the Department of Employment and Labour, bulk water and sewer system in various parts of the province, including construction of health care centres, to name but a few.
Minister Mantashe said South Africa has secured a good reputation for choosing peace over vengeance when the country gained democracy in 1994. He acknowledged the support of other countries that played a role during the liberation struggle.
“On this day we honour those who sacrificed, dreamed and believed in the promise of a better South Africa free from racial division. We are a diverse nation. We have diverse cultures and traditions. We speak many languages, but we have in common a respect for human dignity, Ubuntu and love for our country. We will not allow anyone else to define us, to tell us who and what we are, or to turn us against one another. We must roundly reject any attempts to divide us along racial lines. Never again,” said Mantashe.
The event was attended by various government officials, from both national and provincial, including Ministers and MECs, as well as other dignitaries from their respective institutions.
