The freedom charter

The Freedom Charter

Summary:

people created a leaflet titled 'Call to the Congress of the People', inviting people of all races to send their grievances and ideas for a better South Africa. The Congress Alliance, including the ANC, SAIC, Coloured People's Organisation, SACTU, and Congress of the Democrats, held the Congress of the People, which was a two-day event with each clause introduced and accepted by delegates. The Freedom Charter became a powerful force in the struggle against apartheid and became the foundation of South Africa's Bill of Rights in the 1996 Constitution.

On 26 June 1955, about 3 000 representatives of resistance organisations gathered in Kliptown, Soweto. They were the Congress of the People and they had gathered to adopt the Freedom Charter.

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After the Defiance Campaign, the apartheid government used banning orders and house arrest to clamp down heavily on resistance leaders from the ANC, SAIC and other organisations. From there, the idea of a document that states what all South African's want for their country started to grow. A National Action Council of the Congress of the People was created and they sent out a leaflet titled 'Call to the Congress of the People' that called on people of all races to send in their grievances and ideas for the kind of South Africa they wanted.

Responses ranged from 'Land to be given to landless people' to 'Free and compulsory education, irrespective of colour, race or nationality', all of which were adapted and then included into the finished document that became known as the Freedom Charter.

Adopting the Freedom Charter: Congress of the People

The Congress Alliance was a group made up of the ANC, SAIC, the Coloured People's Organisation , the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and the Congress of the Democrats ( a group of whte South African's who identified with the movement).

The Congress of the People was held over two days, with each clause based on the demands collected being introduced and accepted by the delegates. Delegates were given the opportunity to comment and then indicate acceptance of them by show of hands.

Importance of the Freedom Charter

Known for its famous clause - The People Shall Govern! - the Freedom Charter was an alternative vision to the repressive policies of the apartheid government. It was based on the principle of equal rights for all races and called for democracy, human rights, land reform, labour rights and nationalisation. It became a powerful force in uniting people of all races in a common struggle for the elimination of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial democratic state. It guided ANC policy throughout the struggle against apartheid and became the foundation of South Africa's Bill of Rights in the Constitution of 1996.