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On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my deepest congratulations to South Africa’s people and government on this year’s Freedom Day.

The magnitude of South Africa’s first democratic elections, in 1994, has never diminished, and it remains a beacon for so many people around the world who aspire to freedom, democracy, and self-determination.

I send my warmest congratulations to South Africa and South Africans as you commemorate and celebrate this milestone.

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future