Acting President Gwede Mantashe has used his Freedom Day speech to call out racial tensions and warn against romanticising South Africa’s violent past to score political points.

In his keynote address during the National Freedom Day celebration held at AJ Swanepoel Stadium in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister also decried the alleged use of the country’s wounds by those who seek to score cheap political points.

Mantashe, speaking on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who could not attend the event after coming down with flu, addressed a range of challenges still facing the country on several fronts as South Africa marked 31 years of democratic dispensation on April 27.

“Apartheid was declared an evil against humanity. When it was destroyed in 1994, every South African was liberated from that evil against humanity and that is what we should be celebrating,” said Mantashe.

He discouraged South Africans from playing into any narratives that drive division, referring to these as seeds of division being exploited for political gain.

“Our apartheid wounds are being exploited to serve the agendas of others. We must be clear. We will not allow anyone else to define us, to tell us who and what we are, or to turn us against one another.”

Speaking about the country’s progress over the years, Mantashe warned against efforts to romanticise the county’s violent past. Despite still facing a myriad of challenges, the country has seen significant progress since the dawn of its democracy. This, according to Mantashe, should be recognised and celebrated.

Reflecting on the day, a resident of Ermelo mentioned that “Freedom Day should always be a reminder of a foundation for a better future for South Africans”.

Another resident, amongst the 2000 people that were attending, added: “Freedom Day is very important because it’s whereby we get freedom for this country. Whereby everyone is free to do whatever he wants to do in this country, especially young people because we know where we are coming from. The history tells us very well where we come from and where we are going as the country.”

Various activities were held in commemoration of the day. Others included visits to the Robben Island Museum, where a Youth Camp was held from the 25th-27th April 2025 under the theme “Building a United and Democratic South Africa”.

This commemorated 31 years of South Africa’s Democracy and the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Freedom Charter.

The Freedom Day Youth Camp aims to enable students to develop a deeper appreciation for the struggle for freedom, symbolised by the imprisonment of iconic leaders such as South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela.

The camp encourages critical insight into the rich, complex heritage of Robben Island as a World Heritage Site and its profound connection to the broader history of South Africa.