In 2024, South Africa celebrates 30 years of Freedom Day: April 27, 1994 was the date of the first democratic elections in the country. Three decades after Nelson Mandela’s emblematic election, the black population is fighting to preserve the memory of this achievement and face the neoliberal forces that keep the social structure of the apartheid regime intact and the country as a world champion of inequality.
This is the theme of the documentary The next step: 30 years since Mandela’s electionreleased this Friday (26) by Brazil in fact. Through unprecedented testimonies with political leaders, popular movements, historians, artists and former political prisoners, the film addresses how the popular struggle that put an end to apartheid was constructed, pointing out the paths that led to the elections in 1994. With around 20 million voters, it was the first time that everyone over 18 had the right to vote.
“The downfall of apartheid as a policy in South Africa was about people working together. The only way left for the apartheid government was to come to the table, negotiate. Then finally the president, at the time, FW De Klerk , gave a speech to the Parliament of South Africa on February 2, 1990. After his speech, Nelson Mandela was released from prison and several organizations were unbanned. And the negotiation process began, even though there were a series of conflicts in the. South Africa. But in the end, the ultimate goal was achieved and accomplished,” explains Caephus Mkhashane, tour guide at the Apartheid Museum.
Directed by Iolanda Depizzol and Pedro Stropasolas, the production of Brazil in fact also denounces that Freedom Day and the end of the racial segregation regime did not mean the achievement of equality between the black majority and the white minority in the country. This is what Irvin Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says in his statement.
“We quickly learned that what we secured through this was political power, without economic power. And it became very clear that what we had was a negotiated agreement, where basically the dominant class in society, which is the capitalist class, which owns the mineral complex, energy and financial sector, which constitutes South Africa’s economy, was not prepared to, basically, rectify the property of black and African people who are economically marginalized, landless and dispossessed”, points out the leader of the largest trade entity in the country.
Unpredictable elections
The interviewees from The next step: 30 years since Mandela’s election they also comment on the proximity of this year’s presidential elections. On May 29, South Africa faces the most unpredictable elections of the post-apartheid era. In all electoral elections since 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has won the elections, acquiring a majority in parliament.
But unemployment and increasing poverty, especially among young people, fuel doubts about the party’s continuity in power. Around 27.5 million South Africans will be eligible to vote.
“The working class is being exploited, and people are paid a pittance for working long hours, and services are not provided to the poor and marginalized in this country. This is a situation that happens all over the world. We are seeing capitalism come to us, and if we do not confront capitalism, we will continue to be exploited”, denounces in his statement Thapelo Mohapi, secretary general of the largest South African movement of favela residents, Abahlali baseMjondolo.
“The material economic realities, where your grandparents lived, if you’re a poor black person, is probably where you’re living today. And where your grandparents lived, as a rich white person, is probably where you still live today. And This is, in many ways, why there is a view that 1994 was a first step, and an important step. But the second step still needs to be taken. new, because we didn’t really change the economic structure of apartheid. This is a racial phenomenon”, concludes researcher Jonis Ghedi Alasow.
Check out the documentary:
Editing: Thalita Pires
