By Mapaballo Borotho
- South Africa marks 32 years of democracy, but many citizens still struggle to access basic rights and opportunities.
- SAFTU warns that inequality, poverty, and failing public systems continue to disproportionately affect women and children.
- While some enjoy the gains of freedom, millions remain trapped in cycles of hardship and exclusion.
Today, 27 April 2026, marks exactly 32 years since South Africa’s first democratic elections. This historic day made it possible for all South Africans, and those living in the country, to enjoy the protections of a new Constitution.
However, to this day, some people still do not fully know their rights, while others continue to face oppression.
According to the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), not much has changed for many citizens since the dawn of democracy.
SAFTU says many freedoms and liberties are now taken for granted.
“These include socio-economic rights such as access to housing, healthcare, water, food, and social security; political rights, including freedom of expression, association, and assembly; labour rights, including collective bargaining and protection against unfair dismissal; and legal rights guaranteeing equality before the law and protection from discrimination,” the union said in a statement on Monday, 27 April 2026.
The union adds that South Africa is facing a deepening social and economic crisis, with the most vulnerable, particularly women and children, bearing the greatest burden.
In South Africa, it is no secret that while some enjoy the fruits of freedom, others are left with the crumbs.
Millions go hungry, many are forced to miss meals daily, around 10,000 children die from malnutrition each year, and millions more are stunted.
Public services are under severe strain, infrastructure is collapsing, and violence, including gender-based violence, remains widespread.
SAFTU says young Black women carry the burden of survival in an economy that excludes them from stable and dignified work. At the same time, the crisis of teenage pregnancy continues to trap many in a vicious cycle.
“This is not a personal failure. It is a structural outcome of poverty, inequality, and a failing social system,” the union said.
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