Stories

“We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.”(excerpt from the preamble of the South African Constitution)

The Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa has again highlighted the value of workers in society. It has also underlined how millions of people – both workers and unemployed – live with hunger, insufficient food, poor sanitation, lack of proper housing and inadequate access to health services.

At midnight, 26 April 1994, my son Willem, our friends Eddie Meiring and Renier Terblanche and I stood in Johannesburg amongst thousands of people. There was a festive mood.

On the 27^th of April 1994, I was a 15-year-old, standard 8 secondary school pupil (which is grade 10 for the millennials among us) and became an observer to the historic moment that heralded the first democratic elections in South Africa.

Earth Day 2020 will be like no other, virtually half of the world is in lockdown in some form or another. There is hardly any traffic in the streets, businesses are shut and the economy has ground to a halt.