We want freedom
We are going to get it
25 years ago something remarkable happened in South Africa...
...Nelson Mandela’s election as the country’s first black president...
...marked the end of apartheid
It is a time of saying, “Hey freedom is coming...
...freedom is coming”
Almost half of South Africans are part of the “born free” generation
The term is used to describe those who never experienced...
...the legally enforced racism of apartheid...
...which ended with free elections in 1994
I believe in the term born free
I’m not held back from what I can do...
...and what I want to achieve within society
But there’s still a long way to go
I am not born free
I am born chained
I think that born-free identity...
...is part of some marketing scheme...
...by brand South Africa to lull us into a false sense of unity
I guess I’m classified as a born free, but I don’t see myself as a born free
It wasn’t really for people of my race, you had to...
...fight to get this country to move forward from apartheid...
...to be classified as a born free
Mandela remains an enduring global icon for peace
But many of South Africa’s born free feel conflicted about his legacy
My experiences was very tough growing up
Hout Bay is one of the most segregated places...
...we have the blacks, the whites and the Coloureds
There’s a lot of poverty
My father was in prison on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela
When he came to power...
...Mandela presided over what many called...
...the rainbow nation...
...where all could live in harmony no matter what their race
Nelson Mandela’s legacy was all about bringing peace to communities
But the work is not done, it’s still in process
And now all we talk about is the legacy of Mandela
We’re taught about him as the hero who emerges as the victor...
...slaying the apartheid giant...
...but that is not what happened, it’s not what happened
He compromised
I’m a theatre-maker, an art-maker...
...I am maybe an activist
The nature of the struggle that the older generation, our parents, faced...
...is vastly different to ours
But we are not lucky, we are in pain
If they just listen and they just look...
...they will realise that very little has changed
Just because I can now live with a white person
You know I don’t really think about apartheid too much
I had a very fortunate upbringing...
...my parents were in a scenario where...
...I could go to one of the best private schools in the country
Post 1994 I think my parents...
...were obviously very hopeful but there was a fear about...
...you know how the country was going to go from this point onwards
Mandela made a raft of pledges in his maiden speech as president...
...which would go on to form the backbone...
...of South Africa’s new constitution
This is one of the most important moments...
...in the life of our country
Our greatest responsibility after the election...
...will be to turn this suffering country into a...
...prosperous, peaceful and democratic society
This means creating jobs, building houses, providing education...
...and bringing peace and security for all
Our country
The promises of 1994 have not been kept
For example economic justice, it did not happen
It’s a lot more difficult...
...to keep a promise to free people economically...
...if you have invested in keeping the economic power...
...in the same place that it was during apartheid...
...which is with the white business owners...
...the white landowners
This is part of the agreements that were made
South Africa’s levels of inequality are among the highest in the world
The richest 10% own 90-95% of all wealth
A lot has changed since apartheid...
...there’s a lot of stuff in place to improve equality
The government has lots of policies that favour black people...
...in admission to universities, hiring in the workplace...
...and even share ownership
It’s an incentive for companies to hire black people, coloured people
Some of this falls under the slogan of black economic empowerment...
...otherwise known as BEE
There is a certain anxiety that a few people have...
...that the BEE is going to disadvantage them...
...because they’re not being looked at for certain roles...
...or jobs or positions because of their race
I don't really know how true that is
Whether it is a broad based black economic empowerment...
...or affirmative action or what it...
...kind of turned out to be is that...
...it only empowered the already existing black elite
An ANC government...
...will guarantee victims of forced removals restitution
This was one of the promises that was made in 1994
The government failed
During apartheid...
...over 3.5m black and mixed-race South Africans...
...were forcibly removed from their homes...
...and placed in segregated neighbourhoods...
...in what was one of the largest mass evictions in modern history
My parents and my grandparents were evicted from the land...
...and thrown on another site
The government has tried to give some of the land back...
...to the rightful owners
It was never enough
When I was 18 years old...
...I had the right to apply for to a house
I had to go on the waiting list and my number was...
...573,000
The current waiting list for a state-subsidised home in Cape Town...
...is 60 years
We are fighting for free decolonised education, now
Not in our lifetime, but now
Many of the youth is like striking at universities...
...because the education system actually failed to deliver
In South Africa 80% of children aged nine to ten...
...cannot read and understand a simple sentence
Public spending on education is high...
...but many teachers are incompetent...
...or don’t show up to work
In 2015, Fees Must Fall happens
Mass actions about free education...
...it’s one of the things that was promised which was not given
And they’ve promised it again and are not giving it
Qondiswa now leads protests against University tuition fees
So we do shutdowns
A group of us get arrested
At some point we really feared...
...it felt like, for our lives and our safety
There’s anger and unrest on the streets beyond universities too
Police brutality is playing a massive role...
...within the underprivileged communities
And they will come in and start shooting
There was a 14-year-old boy that was shot in the mouth
Is anyone helping this guy?
I captured that on camera
Jesus Christ he needs f**king medical attention
The ANC...
...the party which Nelson Mandela led to power...
...has ruled for 25 years
Widespread corruption, especially under former president Jacob Zuma...
...has stalled economic growth and sent public debt soaring...
...and increased unemployment
For a lot of people, if I speak honestly...
...there isn’t a massive amount of faith in you know...
...the people running the country, the government at this point
Our task as young people is to find ways...
...to implement our potential
Recent polls reveal...
...that only 14% of South Africans have faith in the government
The country’s leaders face a daunting task in winning back their confidence
My hope for the future is that everyone should be treated equally
But the grassroots is where the healing needs to take place
When it comes to apartheid I think a lot of people...
...tend to see it as this massive inhibitor that’s going to hold the country back
But I truly believe South Africa is going to make it one day