Mr Thapelo Chauke: ICT intern

• What does freedom mean to you

Freedom means the right to live your life the way your heart desires, which includes speaking your mind and freedom of movement. All these however goes with a certain level of responsibility, ensuring that your rights don’t infringe those of others in any way. Freedom means equal opportunities for all, it means being able to equally compete with my peers without having to mind the colour of my skin, religion or ethnicity. As much as we still celebrate the freedom attained in 1994 and the gains that came with the freedom, the issue of youth unemployment remains close to my heart.

• How has free education changed your life

So far so good, I managed to start and finish my primary and secondary school through free education, which enabled me to pursue my tertiary studies and obtain my qualification. I am able to do things for myself now due to the opportunities I got through free access to basic education. I cannot imagine how life would have been if it was not for the freedom we attained in 1994. Although we still have a long way to go in ensuring that we realise the dream of free higher education for all without limitations, government seems to be moving towards that direction. I managed through this difficult times where youth unemployment is at a high to get an internship opportunity, this has helped in attaining work based experience and I will forever be grateful for that. Had it not been of the freedom that we have today, I would probably have not had access to any form of formal education, and for that I want to thank all the Heroes and Heroines who sacrificed their lives so we can have a better future.