Deputy Minister in The Presidency Kenny Morolong will lead the Milestones of Freedom campaign’s Free State launch on Thursday, coordinating with provincial authorities and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi to advance a government-driven civic initiative now entering its sixth provincial rollout.
The campaign, coordinated by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), marks the continuation of a national programme that began with a June 2026 launch before moving to provincial events from 26 July. Five provinces have already hosted their own launches. The Free State, Limpopo and North West are the remaining legs of the rollout.
The initiative anchors itself to four anniversaries the government has identified as central to South Africa’s liberation narrative: the 30th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption; the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprising; the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March against pass laws; and the 60th anniversary of forced removals from District Six. The GCIS frames the campaign’s mandate as promoting social cohesion, inspiring national pride and encouraging public reflection on South Africa’s democratic journey.
Thursday’s proceedings begin at 9am with a Freedom Walk honouring Charlotte Maxeke, the religious leader, social activist and prominent figure in the struggle for freedom and equality. Students from local tertiary institutions and civil society representatives will participate, walking to Waaihoek Wesleyan Church in Bloemfontein, a site the government has designated as historically significant to the country’s democratic transition.
The church carries considerable weight in the programme. After the walk, participants will visit the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church Museum to reflect on South Africa’s passage from apartheid to democracy. Morolong, alongside provincial and local government leaders, will then preside over a Lighting of the Torch of Freedom ceremony at the same site. That ceremony will specifically honour the women who took part in the 1956 anti-pass campaign, which culminated in the march to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956.
By contrast with earlier provincial launches, the Free State event draws on Bloemfontein’s particular historical geography, grounding the national campaign in a local site directly connected to the legislative resistance the programme commemorates.
The GCIS has called on South Africans to reflect on the journey of freedom and appreciate the sacrifices made in attaining democracy. Whether the remaining provincial launches in Limpopo and North West will follow a similar ceremonial format has not yet been confirmed. Full details on the campaign’s scope and schedule are available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-takes-milestones-freedom-campaign-free-state.