The Freedom Charter Adopted at the Congress of the People at Kliptown, Johannesburg, on June 25 and 26, 1955

THE FREEDOM CHARTER ADOPTED AT THE CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE AT KLIPTOWN, JOHANNESBURG, ON JUNE 25 AND 26, 1955.

\^E, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know: that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no govern ment can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people; that our people have been robbed of their birthright to land, liberty and peace by a form of government founded on injustice and inequality; that our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live in brother hood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities; CcvJU^Oo. { fH) that only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all fat "A ^ their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief; And therefore we, the People of South Africa, black and white together — equals, country men and brothers — adopt this Freedom Charter. And we pledge ourselves to strive together sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic changes here set out have been won.

THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN 1 All people shall have equal rights to trade Every man and woman shall have the right where they choose, to manufacture and to to vote for and to stand as a candidate for enter all trades, crafts and professions. all bodies which make laws; C k . THE LAND SHALL BE SHARED AMONG THOSE All people shall be entitled to take part in i the administration of the country CU WHO WORK IT! ^ . The rights of the people shall be ^he .same, Restriction of land ownership on a racial regardless of race, colour or sex; (JX) >• basis shall be ended, and all the land re- ^ . All bodies of minority rule, advisory divided amongst those who work it, to ban- - i vj boards, councils and authorities shall be re ish famine and land hunger; placed by democratic organs of self-govern The state shall help the peasants with im ment. plements, seed, tractors and dams to save the soil and assist the tillers; ALL NATIONAL GROUPS SHALL HAVE EQUAL Freedom of movement shall be guaranteed to all who work on the land; (ixkctt. 'a\IJ RIGHTS I . All shall have the right to occupy land There shall be equal status in the bodies wherever they choose; ^ ) of state, in the courts and in the schools for People shall not be robbed of their cattle, all national groups and races. and forced labour and farm prisons shall be All people shall have equal right to use abolished. their own languages, and to develop their own folk culture and customs; ALL SHALL BE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW I All national groups shall be protected by law against insults to their race and nation No one shall be imprisoned, deported or al pride; restricted without a fair trial; The preaching and practice of national, No one shall be condemned by the order of any Government official; 6U r ^ • race or colour discrimination and contempt The courts shall be representative of all shall be a punishable crime; the people; All apartheid laws and practices shall be Imprisonment shall be only for serious set aside. crimes against the people, and shall aim at re-education, not vengeance; THE PEOPLE SHALL SHARE IN THE COUNTRY'S The police force and army shall be open WEALTH ! to all on an equal basis and shall be the help The national wealth of our country, the ers and protectors of the people; heritage of all South Africans, shall be re All laws which discriminate on grounds stored to the people; of race, colour or belief shall be repealed. CiJk. \ i 2 The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be trans ALL SHALL ENJOY EQUAL HUMAN RIGHTS I ferred to the ownership of the people as a The law shall guarantee to all their right whole; to speak, to organise, to meet together, to All other industry and trade shall be con publish, to preach, to worship and to educate trolled to assist the well-being of the people; their children; „ - (W 2o * The privacy of the house from police raids Teachers shall have all the rights of other shall be protected by law; 6lA \ H citizens * / All shall be free to travel without restric The colour bar in cultural life, in sport tion from countryside to town, from prov and in education shall be abolished, fl* ince to province, and from South Africa I abroad; THERE SHALL BE HOUSES, SECURITY AND 1 Pass laws, permits and all other laws re COMFORT! stricting these freedoms shall be abolished. All people shall have the right to live THERE SHALL BE WORK AND SECURITY ! where they choose, to be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort Q g All who work shall be free to form trade and security; unions, to elect their officers and to make^. Unused housing space shall be made avail wage agreements with their employers; able to the people; The state shall recognise the right and Rent and prices shall be lowered, food duty of all to work, and to draw full unem plentiful and no one shall go hungry; ployment benefits; (\) A preventive health scheme shall be run | Men and women of all races shall receive by the state; equal pay for equal work; fc) Free medical care and hospitalisation ) There shall be a forty-hour working week, shall be provided for all, with special care | a national minimum wage, paid annual for mothers and young children; leave, and sick leave for all workers, and ma Slums shall be demolished, and new sub- . ternity leave on full pay for all working urbs built where all have transport, roads, mothers; Q# * lighting, playing fields, creches and social Miners, domestic workers, farm workers centres; and civil servants shall have the same rights The aged, the orphans, the disabled and as all others who work; the sick shall be cared for by the state; Child labour, compound labour, the tot Rest, leisure and recreation shall be the system and contract labpur shall be abolish right of all; ed. Fenced locations and ghettoes shall be abolished and laws which break up families THE DOORS OF LEARNING AND OF CULTURE shall be repealed. SHALL BE OPENED ! The government shall discover, develop THERE SHALL BE PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP ! and encourage national talent for the en- South Africa shall be a fully independent hancement of our cultural life; state, which respects the rights and sover jP ? All the cultural treasures of mankind, eignty of all nations; Vmshall be open to all, by free exchange of South Africa shall strive to maintain books, ideas and contact with other lands; world peace and the settlement of all inter The aim of education shall be to teach the national disputes by negotiation — not war; youth to love their people and their culture, Peace and friendship amongst all our to honour human brotherhood, liberty and people shall be secured by upholding the peace; 3Sfi(a) equal rights, opportunities and status of all; Education shall be free, compulsory, uni- The people of the protectorates — Basuto y«> /jg^VersaL and equal for all children; 31 (0 * (\) 3. , land, Bechuanaland and Swaziland — shall be Higher education and technical training free to decide for themselves their own fu shall be opened to all by means of state ture; allowances and scholarships awarded on the The rights of all the peoples of Africa to basis of merit; Slb/O independence and self-government shall be Adult illiteracy shall be ended by a mass recognised and shall be the basis of close co state education plan; operation.

# * Let all who love their people and their country now say, as we say here: "THESE FREEDOMS WE WILL FIGHT FOR, SIDE BY SIDE, THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES, UNTIL WE HAVE WON OUR LIBERTY.”

Issued by the Congress of the People, Box 11045, Joh’burg, and printed by Pacific Press (Pty.) Ltd., Jeppe.

Collection Number: AD1137

FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN 1954-1963

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