COMMEMORING 20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACYOn April 27, 1994, South Africa put aside centuries of discrimination and oppression to form a new society based on freedom and democracy. The last 20 years of freedom have allowed us to come together and begin to build a country that belongs to everyone who lives there. President Jacob Zuma has said that South Africa is a much better place to live than it was in 1994 (quoting Guardian.com, 2014). The year twenty fourteen offers society the opportunity to rejoice in the successes achieved by the country. This essay serves to explain how the country has progressed in achieving the goals it set in 1994, for example education, health system, transformation, economic growth and sustainability. However, we must never forget that the path to democracy was not easy, as South Africa did. was colonized by the British government after 1948, in charge of the apartheid government, said Davenport (2007: 36). Society did not have the same rights and the law favored the white minority. Black people were systematically deprived of their basic human rights, including the right to vote. The company had to carry passes that were used to control where they lived and where they could work. Apartheid denied Africans the opportunity to open their businesses. The majority of the population did not have access to basic municipal services such as drinking water and sanitation. Health care services were limited due to inadequate facilities and a shortage of health professionals and medical providers. No black students were allowed in universities and private schools. The South African Democrats inherited a racially different education system and differential education departments to also accommodate people with disabilities...... middle of paper ...... achievements of our young nation. It is the country's road map to also work for the next 20 years. This 20-year commemoration is also a tribute to a fallen hero who was the first president of a democratic South Africa. REFERENCEDavenport, TRH, 2007, South Africa: A Modern History, California: Macmillan, 36Grant Thornton International Business Report-Q3: 2013Jonathan D, Jansen, Yusurf Sayed, 2001, Implementing Education Systems: The South Africa Expereince, Cape Town, Juta and Company, 2001: 74 National Treasure (2013). “Budget Review” Owen Gibson, 2013, The Guardian, Tuesday March 18 Jonisayi Maromo, Mail&Gurdian, April 27 Statistics South Africa, (2012). “Census, 2011” Statistical Release, Po3014.South Africa History online: Freedom Day: April 27 (online), accessed January 2014. Available at http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/freedom-day- April 27.