DESHNEE NAIDOO - Vedanta
I was 18 in 1994, finishing my schooling as I watched the country take the final steps towards our first democratic elections. I thought myself incredibly lucky that I was just old enough to vote on 27th April.
By that point in my life, I was very aware of the incredible oppression which the vast majority of South African had been forced to live under for so long. On an immediate and personal level, watching the daily struggles of my parents as they fought to provide for us, and those of everyone around us, meant that I could never be ignorant of the wider political context in which I lived.
The advent of democracy on 27 April 1994 meant that, for the first time, I had – in theory at least – the opportunity to choose a career in any sector of the economy and not worry that who I was would restrict me in any way. Of course, it was never that simple, but the hope and potential was encouraging.
South Africa has without a doubt come a long way since then. At the same time, there is so much still to do. Far too many South Africans are without jobs, without homes, without an education – even without enough food. Certainly, government has to do the job for which it is elected, and provide these critical rights. At the same time, the private sector has to step up, and contribute in a meaningful way. If government and the private sector do not step up and work together, millions will continue to suffer.