Thirty years of freedom for South Africa is freedom for all

When South Africans proudly say they are celebrating 30 years of freedom, they are referring to the period between now and1994.  This is the period when former political prisoners became president and ministers, former exiles became deputy presidents as well as cabinet ministers. It is the period when every South African was allowed to participate in general elections opened for all irrespective of colour of the skin. It was the period in which South Africa was admitted to international organizations including sport.  It is the period in which those who had never seen the outside world began to have passports and air tickets. It is the period when black and white could marry each other. South Africans are not alone in this celebration. It is befitting that Southern African countries should be joining the celebration as well. All of them perhaps except Swaziland and Malawi, went through a period of suffering. Malawi did not suffer because it had diplomatic relationship with the apartheid regime while Swaziland as it was known then, had signed a none-aggression pact with South Africa.