Ekurhuleni to host Gauteng Freedom Day celebrations
Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, will lead provincial Freedom Day celebrations taking place on Saturday, 27 April 2019 at Kwa Thema Stadium, in Springs Ekurhuleni.
The province will join the rest of South Africa in celebrating this significant day under the theme “Celebrating 25 years of democracy”.
Premier Makhura together with Ekurhuleni Mayor, Mzwandile Masina will take part in a memorial walk in honour of the late Eudy Simelane. The 31-year-old Banyana Banyana player who was also a member of the LGBTI community was brutally murdered in a homophobic attack on 27, April 2008. Her body was found in a field in KwaThema, she had been gang-raped and died from multiple stab wounds.
The walk will start at Simelane’s home in Springs and proceed to Eudy Park for a brief wreath laying ceremony before reaching Kwa-Thema Stadium.
On the day, Premier Makhura will deliver the keynote address, followed by social cohesion games with arts and culture festival.
Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Faith Mazibuko said: “As we celebrate more than two decades of our freedom and democracy, South Africans and the people of Gauteng will look back with pride and hope for more. With the transformation, modernisation and re-industrialisation initiatives, we are working on deracialising the economy and ensuring that Gauteng residents are enjoying the economic gains from our liberation for the past 25 years of democracy.
“We will also look back and remember our fallen LGBTI activist, Eudy Simelane who was brutally murdered on Freedom Day, 11 years ago, on a day where we should have been uniting and celebrating our democracy as a country.”
Entrance is free and all is welcome.
Members of the media are invited to the event as follows:
Date: 27 April 2019
Time: 9h30 am
Venue: Kwa Thema Stadium, Springs (Ekurhuleni)
Media enquiries:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Cell: 083 507 8068
Tel: 011 355 2578
E-mail: nomazwen@gpg.gov.za
