Freedom day ( South Africa ) - Wikipedia Freedom day ( South Africa ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( April 2018 ) Freedom day Nelson Mandela voting in 1994 Observed by Republic of South Africa Type National Celebrations Presidential speech Date 27 April Next time 27 April 2019 ( 2019 - 04 - 27 ) Frequency Annual First time 27 April 1995 Related to South African general election, 1994 Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa celebrated on 27 April. It celebrates freedom 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, including foreign citizens permanently resident in South Africa, were allowed to vote. Previously, under the apartheid regime, non-whites in general had only limited rights to vote while indigenous black South Africans had no voting rights whatsoever. It is part of the twelve public holidays determined by the Public Holidays Act ( No. 36 of 1994 ). On the first commemoration of the holiday, President Nelson Mandela addressed Parliament : As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1994, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation ; the great possibilities that we now have ; and the bright future that beckons us. And so we assemble here today, and in other parts of the country, to mark a historic day in the life of our nation. Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future. See also History of South Africa South African general election, 1994 Politics of South Africa Freedom Day in other countries UnFreedom Day Pagan Freedom Day References Jump up ^ `` South Africa : Voters registration ''. South Africa : Voters registration. Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015. Public holidays in South Africa New Year 's Day Human Rights Day Good Friday Family Day Freedom Day Workers ' Day Youth Day National Women 's Day Heritage Day Day of Reconciliation Christmas Day Day of Goodwill Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freedom_Day_(South_Africa)&oldid=857169559 '' Categories : April observances South African society Remembrance days National days Observances in South Africa Autumn events in South Africa Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from April 2018 All articles needing additional references Use dmy dates from July 2012 Use South African English from July 2012 All Wikipedia articles written in South African English Infobox holiday with missing field Infobox holiday fixed day ( 2 ) All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017 Talk About Wikipedia Afrikaans فارسی Français हिन्दी IsiZulu Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Suomi 中文 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 30 August 2018, at 00 : 41 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: what is the significance of april 27 1994 in south africa
Answer: first post-apartheid elections