In 2022, when my President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa posted me to the Republic of South Sudan as an ambassador, I was thrilled and excited. The excitement was not without any solid base. It was the year in which the citizens of the Republic of South Sudan were, for the first time since their attainment of independence from Sudan in 2011, going to cast their votes for a democratically elected government in the Republic of South Sudan.
I sang hallelujah then in 2022 because even though I was not going to cast a democratic vote in the Republic of South Sudan, I was going to re-live the excitement and enjoyment I experienced when I casted my first democratic vote for the democratic national government of the Republic of South Africa in my adulthood in 1994, where my vote knew no colour, no race, no discrimination and no exclusion based on my black African pigmentation.
My first vote wasn’t cheap
My democratic vote then in 1994 wasn’t cheap. Many of the comrades we had fought together to dismantle the evil, ruthless white Afrikaner-led Apartheid South African government had perished during the many decades of the struggle. People of different colours had fought to unshackle the masses from the yoke of oppression we endured under that oppressive apartheid government system.
Freeing ourselves from white Afrikaner Apartheid South African government was such a relief. We drank water from the democratic wells of freedom. The long protracted wars of the Freedom Charter, all of us black and white people. The hatchet of hostilities got buried in 1994 when all of South African citizens voted together without any voters roll and without any discrimination on the basis of race, colour or creed.
Non-racialism
During our struggle for our freedom, we united as comrades fighting for freedom – one comrade being muVenda or another one umZulu or umXhosa or moTswana or moTsonga or worse, Jewish. Cde Joe Slovo and Cde Albie Sachs, who are Jewish and jurists of note, were active members of the ANC and active members of the ANC UMkhonto We Sizwe – the military wing of the ANC. Tribes mattered not. We all faced one enemy – the white Afrikaner-led racist Apartheid South African government.
The Republic of South Sudan traversed the same route we in South Africa walked when we fought against the white Afrikaner-led Apartheid government.
South Africa attained her democracy in 1994. On April 27 2026 the democratic, non-racial Republic of South Africa turned 32 years old and President Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the Dr Rantlai Molemela Stadium in Mangaung, Free State.
Cherishing my hard-won freedom
This is one day I cherish supremely because for years the white-led Apartheid Afrikaner South African government did not deem me a worthy human being capable of casting my democratic vote alongside white South Africans.
So, naive me, when I came to the Republic of South Sudan as the ambassador hereto, in 2022, in me, 1994 feeling and excitement commenced loading. At the back of my mind I was going to assist South Sudanese in their preparations for their very first democratic national government election in December 2022.
Regrettably and understandably at the same time, the anticipated democratic national government general election had to be postponed to 2024 and even then, they had to be postponed to December 2026. I am, as an eternal optimist, hopeful that come December 2026 South Sudanese post voting in December 2026, they will also feel and experience the excitement we enjoyed as South African black people in 1994.
The problems South Sudanese have in relation to bringing about a democratic Republic of South Sudan aren’t too dissimilar from the problems we in the Republic of South Africa encountered when we were fighting for our freedom during the Apartheid years.
Dialogue is crucial
What stood us in good stead as South Africans both black and white was that we needed to dialogue among ourselves until we found one another, which resulted in us going to a
non-racial democratic general election in 1994, which 32 years later remains unshakeable.
We are not called a miracle society in South Africa or Madiba’s children without authority. We achieved the unthinkable: bringing about a non-racial democratic government in South Africa when none expected that, that eventuality would happen.
We remain steadfastly in support of the government of the Republic of South Sudan as she attempts to go to a democratic national government general election in December 2026.
- The author was appointed South Sudan ambassador in 2022, coinciding with South Sudan's first planned democratic elections since independence in 2011, which were postponed to 2026.
- The author reflects on South Africa’s struggle against apartheid and the historic, non-racial democratic election in 1994, celebrating the hard-won freedom and equality.
- South African democracy was achieved through unity and dialogue across racial and ethnic divides, overcoming oppression by the white Afrikaner-led apartheid government.
- South Sudan faces challenges similar to those South Africa encountered in its path to freedom, but there is optimism for peaceful democratic elections in December 2026.
- The author emphasizes ongoing support for South Sudan’s democratic process and the importance of dialogue to achieve lasting peace and democracy.
In 2022, when my President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa posted me to the Republic of
I sang hallelujah then in 2022 because even though I was not going to cast a democratic vote in the Republic of
My democratic vote then in 1994 wasn’t cheap.
So, naive me, when I came to the Republic of
Regrettably and understandably at the same time, the anticipated democratic national government general election had to be postponed to 2024 and even then, they had to be postponed to
What stood us in good stead as
non-racial democratic general election in 1994, which 32 years later remains unshakeable.
We are not called a miracle society in
We remain steadfastly in support of the government of the Republic of
