South Africa celebrates 10 years of freedom

Veeramalla Anjaiah, Jakarta

South Africa -- a country that suffered from three centuries of colonialism and five decades of apartheid -- is proudly celebrating its first decade of freedom on Tuesday.

The historical celebrations coincide with the inauguration of re-elected South African President Thabo Mbeki, whose African National Congress (ANC) won the recent election with more than 70 percent of the vote.

In a massive show of support for the 45 million South African people, representatives -- including some 40 presidents, 10 prime ministers and several royals -- from more than 100 countries are attending a gala at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Just 10 years ago this was unthinkable under the apartheid regime, which faced a global ban and sanctions for its rigid racist policies and the brutal repression.

But freedom came at a heavy price. Several hundred people lost their lives in the long liberation struggle. Thousands disappeared into detention, some never to be seen again. Leaders like Mandela, whom apartheid rulers jailed for 27 years (1962- 1990), Mbeki, Chris Hani, Winnie Mandela and several others sacrificed their youth and social life to fight against white minority rule.

Ten years after the collapse of apartheid, South Africa -- under the able leadership of Mandela (1994-1999) and followed by Mbeki -- is emerging not only as a model democracy for developing nations but also a regional power in Africa.

Millions of joyous South Africans, both affluent white and poor black, and their leader Thabo Mbeki are rightfully proud of their achievements -- political stability, two peaceful democratic elections, abolition of racial laws, reconciliation among the former foes and an impressive constitution, which enshrines freedom of expression and individual and property rights.

In addition, the government has provided 1.6 million houses, electricity to 70 percent of homes and drinking water to nine million more people during it first ten years. Yet, Mbeki's government still has a way to go to eradicate poverty and address unemployment and AIDS, which kills 600 people a day.

South Africa has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world with 5.3 million people out of a population of 45 million with HIV.

But both the ANC and President Mbeki counter these statistics by saying South Africa's present ills can't be solved in just ten years.

"Our country's central challenge during its First Decade of Democracy was the eradication of the 350-year-old legacy of colonialism and apartheid," Mbeki wrote in ANC Today, an online magazine of the ANC.

Since South Africa's present blemishes had roots in the past, these, according to Mbeki, can't be removed in one decade. He asked his people to be patient.

But Mbeki's Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has a different opinion.

"As long as poverty remains at its current levels, it will test our democracy. We must not take that patience for granted," Manuel told AFP recently in Soweto.

Today, 48 percent of the population is still living under the poverty line who earn less than $2 a day. The unemployment rate, according to the government, reached a record 31 percent.

Freedom is not the only thing that needs to survive, as one electrician expressed his perspective.

"Looking back, I feel totally betrayed ... The old apartheid was against blacks, the new apartheid is against the poor," Isaac Sello told the AFP.

Mbeki, an economist by training, complained recently during an interview with CNN about the fact that most of the country's wealth was still concentrated in the hands of whites. He wants to focus on the redistribution of national wealth during his second term.

With a new mandate, President Mbeki and his colleagues must work hard to retain the people's trust bestowed upon them.