30th Anniversary of the End of Apartheid in South Africa Held Amid Public Discontent Over Economic Conditions

South Africa celebrated the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid, Freedom Day, and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony. According to the Associated Press, this event took place amid a significant increase in public dissatisfaction with the South African government in recent months. Cyril Ramaphosa, the President, leads the African National Congress (ANC), a party that once led the struggles of the majority of black South Africans against the country's racist regime and was very popular. The ANC has held power since the first democratic elections in South Africa on April 27, 1994, which officially ended the apartheid era. However, analysts believe that due to the declining popularity of the party that Nelson Mandela once led, the ANC is likely to lose its parliamentary majority in next month's elections. The 1994 elections changed the conditions in a country where the majority of black and other non-white individuals were deprived of basic rights and freedoms. After the fall of apartheid, a constitution was adopted that guaranteed the rights of all South African citizens regardless of their race, religion, or gender. Despite this significant achievement, the living conditions of millions in the country have not improved. According to available statistics, the majority of black South Africans, who make up over 80% of the country's 62 million population, live in severe poverty. The official unemployment rate is 32%, which is considered the highest in the world, and millions rely on monthly financial assistance to survive. According to the World Bank, South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world in terms of wealth distribution. While it is difficult to rebuild the damages of the apartheid era, the ANC is still seen as responsible for the current problems in the country. While many South African citizens describe the anniversary of the end of apartheid as a 'historic moment,' their main concerns are unemployment, violent crime, corruption, poverty, and the near collapse of essential service systems like water and electricity. In this context, millions born after the end of apartheid will go to the polls, regardless of the past, to improve their lives and create a better future. Many of these individuals, free from old nostalgia, support new political parties that have entered the arena with different programs to end years of ANC rule.