Workers still shackled with the chains of unemployment and inequality

THE National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW), together with the country's working class, commemorates Freedom Day.

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It was on this day, 31 years ago, that South Africans from all walks of life participated in the first democratic elections in our country.

We honour the sacrifices made in the struggle against the brutal apartheid regime, and we will remain indebted to the freedom fighters for their sacrifices in the liberation of our country.

Despite our hard-earned freedom in our country, the levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality remain prevalent to date.

It is a dismay that 31 years into democracy, we remain a conquered nation with the minority owning the majority of the land in the country while the majority have no access to land and are languishing in poverty-stricken informal settlements.

At the core of the struggle against apartheid was the return of land to its rightful owners, but sadly, 30 years later, the struggle continues, and that dream remains stillborn; the rich become richer while the poor are poorer.