Watch live: South Africa celebrates 30th anniversary of Freedom Day

South Africa is today celebrating 30 years of Freedom Day (27 April), marking the country’s first democratic election in 1994 that announced the official end of racial segregation.

At the time, Nelson Mandela became the country’s first Black president, after the decision was made to unban the African National Congress Party.

It came just four years after Mandela was still in prison for attempting to overthrow the apartheid system, where he remained president until 1999, when he decided to retire from politics.

The celebration comes just one month before the ANC could lose their political power, with an election looming, and socioeconomic problems in the country rife. The party is being blamed for the lack of progress, and high unemployment rates for young, Black Africans.

However, that won’t dampen today’s anniversary, with president Cyril Ramaphosa leading events at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.