The Freedom Charter at 70: A vision betrayed by the ANC?

The Star

26-06-2025

As South Africa marked the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, leading voices in South Africa have raised concerns about the ideals enshrined in the nation's founding document, having been hollowed out, replaced by elite-driven agendas and systemic failures that threaten to undo the progress made in the liberation struggle.
Seventy years ago, in the dusty streets of Kliptown, Soweto, the African National Congress (ANC) and its allies adopted the Freedom Charter - a bold , inclusive blueprint for a democratic South Africa rooted in the principles of equality, shared wealth, and social justice.
The Charter was born from a comprehensive, cross-class, and cross-race consultative process. It embodies millions' hopes for a free, fair, and united nation.
Today, as South Africa marks this significant milestone, critics argue that the ANC has drifted far from those foundational ideals, betraying the very values that inspired the struggle against apartheid.
The Freedom Charter articulated a vision where 'the people shall share in the country's wealth,' land would be shared among those who work it, and poverty, unemployment, and inequality would be eliminated.
It was more than a document; it was a rallying cry-a call for grassroots involvement, gender inclusivity, and racial unity. Its adoption in 1955 symbolised collective resistance, galvanising the fight against apartheid and laying the groundwork for the democratic Constitution of 1996.
In the decades following democracy, the ANC claimed to be the custodian of the Charter's ideals. Yet, many South Africans now see a stark contrast between the lofty promises of 1955 and the reality of today's socio-economic landscape.
Poverty persists, unemployment remains entrenched, and inequality is among the highest globally. The triple burden the Charter sought to eradicate continues unabated, raising questions about the ANC's fidelity to its founding principles.
The political landscape has shifted dramatically. The ANC, once the undisputed leader of South Africa's liberation movement, is now relegated to a coalition partner in a fragmented multiparty system following its failure to secure a majority in the 2024 elections.
According to Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy, this marks a pivotal moment but questions the party's direction.
'The ANC has had ample time to realise the promises of the Freedom Charter. Their inability to deliver on key clauses, particularly wealth sharing and land redistribution, reflects a betrayal of those ideals.'
' Many South Africans believe that the ANC has reneged on its promise to implement the clauses of the Freedom Charter. They base their assessment on the condition of their lives and unfulfilled promises made by the ANC in each election.'
Mngomezulu drew disparities in the ANC, which holds a view that only two of the ten clauses of the Freedom Charter have not been fulfilled.
'These are clauses three, which says, 'The people shall share in the country's wealth,' and clause four, which says, 'The land shall be shared among those who work it.' However, even with these clauses, the ANC claims it is a work in progress.'
He argued that it was safe to say that the question on poverty and other challenges have not all been answered, as people still lived in poverty.
Political Economy Analyst Zamikhaya Maseti proposed marking the 70th anniversary by returning to the roots of the Charter and holding the commemorative events in Kliptown itself.
'Kliptown was the site where our great-grandparents gathered under difficult, illegal conditions on June 25–26, 1955, to craft a vision for a democratic South Africa,' Maseti noted.
'Their gathering produced the Freedom Charter, a lodestar for the liberation struggle. Today, we face an equally historic task: rebuilding South Africa born from their sacrifices. A nation now fractured and drifting, desperately in need of repair.'
She said that 'holding the anniversary in Kliptown would root it in the moral soil of people's struggles and remove the sting of elitism that often surrounds state-led initiatives. It would strip the dialogue of unnecessary extravagance.'
Maseti stressed that 'the original Congress of the People saw delegates arrive by bus, taxi, train-some even on horseback.
'Reflecting this spirit, the proposed R700 million budget for this national dialogue is seen as absurd and morally indefensible I am relieved that the Presidency rejected that outrageous proposal.'
Former ambassador Lassy Chiwayo reflected on the nation's current state as the nation comme 70th anniversary approaches. He warns of a dangerous phenomenon.
'Political sclerosis' is a form of institutional rigidity that stifles progress.
'Once, the ANC was Africa's most respected liberation movement- an icon of hope,' Chiwayo laments. 'Today, what has happened to that movement, and what does it mean for our nation?'
He described 'political sclerosis' as 'a state of stagnation, gridlock, and paralysis,' warning that 'when our institutions become inflexible, they stop functioning effectively, and progress stalls.
The ANC is suffering from a kind of political leprosy that threatens to consume the very ideals it once stood for.' If unchecked,' he warns, 'this disease could lead to the collapse of hope and the end of our dreams for a free, liberated Africa.'
Chiwayo urges the movement to shed its sclerosis, embrace flexibility, and reconnect with the core principles of liberation and service.
'Otherwise, we risk losing the very essence of what our ancestors fought for-an Africa free from foreign domination, inequality, and oppression.'
Activist and author Kim Heller laments that 'the Freedom Charter lies in ruins in democratic South Africa.'
She argued that 'today, the portraiture of the ANC as a devoted and dutiful servant to its citizens has all but collapsed. The party has abandoned its scripture.'
Heller critiqued the current elite-driven, VIP-dominated political culture, contrasting it with the grassroots participation and volunteerism underpinning the Charter's formation.
She pointed out that the proposed R700 million National Dialogue, led by President Ramaphosa, 'lacks the nation-building spirit and grassroots involvement that defined the Charter and the UDF. It appears to be an elite talk shop, disconnected from the struggles of ordinary South Africans.'
Independent analyst Professor Sipho Seepe highlighted that the implementation of the Charter was doomed from the start.
'The ANC adopted a constitution that appreciated past injustices but made socioeconomic transformation difficult,' he stated.
'The architecture of apartheid remains largely intact, and inequality has only worsened, making South Africa the most unequal country in the world.'
He criticised the ANC's partnership with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in government, arguing that 'the party has become an empty shell incapable of delivering on the promises of equality and justice, betraying the very ideals of the Freedom Charter.'
According to Maseri, the challenge now is to reconnect with those founding principles by returning to Kliptown, the grassroots, and the moral soil of the struggles that birthed this nation.
'The task is to rebuild what was once a beacon of hope and aspiration. Only then can South Africa truly honour the sacrifices made and realise the promise of the Freedom Charter.'
When asked for a comment on whether the ANC betrayed the Freedom Charter, the party's national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, stated that she would respond by Thursday afternoon; however, she did not do so by the publication deadline.
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