Rustenburg – South Africa was at a stage where it was becoming weaker and more unstable, a political analyst said on Tuesday.

“We are at a dynamic period where the State is becoming weaker and weaker. The state can no longer provide basic services,” said Professor Andre Duvenhage from the North West University’s Potchefstroom Campus, on the eve of Freedom Day celebrations which mark the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.

Duvenhage said the first 20 years of democracy was difficult although there were major positive achievements.

“The ANC government made positive achievements, there was high growth in the economy, relative stability and social security.”

However, he said the country was now at a point where the achievements gained were phasing out.

“There is high level of corruption and instability. There is no level of economic growth, there are patterns of social challenges that lead to service delivery protests. The state is getting weaker and weaker, the state is not collapsing, but is no longer able to provide basic services.”

Many South Africans enter Freedom Day with mixed feelings about what has been achieved since the dawn of democracy 22 years ago.

Naledi Masege of Rustenburg said major strides had been made since 1994. “Our lives have improved dramatically, there are no longer jobs reserved for certain races. We live anywhere we want. You no longer find blacks confined in townships far from town and whites living in flashy suburbs. Today we live together, there is no longer law stopping this.”

She said South Africa was heading for a “good future” despite problems experienced.

“Some of the things [problems] we cannot change them now, but hope for in the future.”

Paul Sereko of Kanana near Rustenburg, however, said there was nothing to celebrate on the 22nd anniversary of the country’s freedom.

“Many people are not working, we need jobs to survive. I expected to work. What is freedom without jobs?” he asked.

Freedom Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on 27 April each year and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994. The elections were the first non-racial national elections where everyone of voting age of over 18 from any race group was allowed to vote.

African News Agency